FORWARD AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
“for a while, in the mid-1980s, when they were
“new”, they held out attention, but when it became clear that their presence among us was
not the result of some aberration in the socioeconomic mix but rather a manifestation that
something in the country had gone seriously
wrong, we disengaged.
Padriag O’Malley, New England Journal of
Public Policy
THE PROBLEM
Appropriate and equitable shelter support for
portions of the Bellingham/Whatcom County homeless population is required in order to increase dignity,
reduce suffering, manage vulnerability, overcome social
disintegration, and help to achieve recovery from transitional periods that displaced persons face. Displaced
persons require protection from both the environmental
elements and from further social isolation. In order
to improve the living conditions faced by our fellow
citizens who live in Homeless camps, public resources
are necessary to help the Homeless segment of society
regain their footing in society.

PROJECT FOCUS
This course examined sustainable design solutions for the immediate improvement to the conditions
faced by many Homeless People through the creation
of Homeless Settlement Communities as a transitional
stepping stone solution. The student’s planning and design concepts were informed, in part, by current public
policy and approaches to providing homeless relief, as
well as independent research and conversations with
informants. The students was challenged to imagine
new approaches to providing homeless shelters in a
way that would meet the following design objectives:
•
•
•
•

Building and maintaining a community with a
strong sense of dignity
Encourage self-help in creating a sustainable
Homeless community
Enable self-maintained and self-governed Homeless communities
Adapting principles of sustainability in homeless
settlement design

The faculty and students at Huxley College of
the Environment wish to especially thank our community partners and mentors for their invaluable assistance in helping our students conduct this investigation
of alternative approaches that can be taken to address
the conditions of homelessness within our Bellingham
community: Greg Winter, Director, Whatcom Homeless

FORWARD AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Service Center; Theresa Meurs, Hope House Street
Outreach; Gail de Hoog, Whatcom County Health Department; Claudia Vizcarra, Bellingham Police Department. We further wish to thank the numerous individuals who live on the Streets of Bellingham for taking the
time to talk with out students and help them to gain a
better understanding about the conditions that Homeless People face on a daily basis.

Instructors: Nicholas Zaferatos and Arunas
Oslapas, Western Washington University

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

6
INTRODUCTION

corners of the world also attempting to solve these and ing desirable public spaces, and shifting away from the
similar issues.
impersonal nature of many of today’s organized efforts
combatting homelessness.

Our interest in the tremendous task of improving the
quality of care and infrastructure for ostracized groups in
today’s society are in response to a history of economic, social, and political issues. These conditions have
resulted in a significant portion of people today finding
themselves unable to provide adequate housing, medical provisions, and often even food for themselves, their
loved ones, and their pets. These groups do not have a
single face or representation that bears categorization,
in fact it is only through the most intimate and individual
of interactions with each that one finds that no two stories are the same, and no single solution will fit all.

People of all walks of life are entitled to livable housing,
adequate food and medical needs, and the most basic of
social interactions that bind all of us into a civilized, dedicated and productive society; cultural and historic trends
aside. This is the core assumption of our research and
the resulting work to be found in later chapters. The
pages that follow will define the existing issues, and then
detail a variety of possibilities for mitigating, and concepts for potentially solving one of today’s most impactful societal problems. We hope to provide a framework
for future studies, as well as some new ideas that may
potentially inspire others to develop their own innovative
solutions in whatever local context. Our direct concepts
may not be fitting for every situation, but the motivation
and the process are.

Despite the best efforts of many, today’s economic
conditions and often mere circumstance have resulted
in a strikingly wide variety in the appearance of
homelessness, mental illnesses, domestic violence and
abuses, and chronic drug addictions of many forms. As
these people are spread out over vast areas and hold
such a wide variety of needs, the financial burden of
helping them is severe to the entire society. Providing
transitional housing for one person at a time can require
months of personal attention from caregivers, tens of
thousands of dollars per individual to the public, and at
the end of the day there is still no guarantee that they will
have found a way to reintegrate into society if not given
the proper tools to do so.
We began by careful assessment of the conditions evident today in Whatcom County, with the intent of developing a set of goals, along with possible visions for the
future of those groups who are currently culturally omitted to be reassimilated into our local society, and have
done so with the sincere hope that the information this
document contains will be useful to those in any and all

CHAPTER 2

Throughout this process we must constantly remind ourselves that the people whom we seek to provide for are
living, breathing humans who are entitled to the same
quality of life as us all, and furthermore that no single
magic bullet solution can be introduced that will end
homelessness and its related problems instantly. Instead we must understand that it will require a variety of
interdisciplinary action from technical, social, legislative,
economic and cultural designs that can be woven to
form a coherent fabric for reassimilating these groups,
and preventing these detrimental circumstances from
further developing to affect others in the future.

PROJECT CHALLENGE
The purpose of this work is to mitigate the social consequences of homelessness, by providing public infrastructure for the benefit of those in need in order to
lessen the affiliated negative societal impacts. This includes the financial tax burden on the community, the
loss of social capital from marginalized groups occupy-

INTRODUCTION

We began by taking a close look at several questions
relating to our interest in the issue, the answers to which
would point towards a new direction to take in providing
for marginalized groups in society. The following were
identified:
• How can one design homeless communities that
provide a sense of dignity and social inclusion for its occupants?
• Are the homeless part of a new insurgent citizenry?
Do they have a voice in our society?
• What does self sufficiency look like to a homeless
community? What provisions are necessary to make
this feasible?
• Is green building limited to those that can afford it?
Can greening be integral in our design?

7
following objectives throughout this document:
• A community with sense of dignity
• Encouraging self help while creating a sustainable
housing community
• Enabling a self-maintained and self-governed community
• Adapting principles of sustainability into modern
homeless settlement designs

PROJECT GOALS

The clientele for this project are the largely unrepresented homeless community currently underserved by
current public and private programs, and maintain temporary residency largely in unorganized, and often, illegal, settlement camps. Assisting in our study includes
local professionals in the local Bellingham/Whatcom
County area who are engaged in homeless assistance
programs.

Appropriate and equitable shelter support for portions
of the Bellingham/Whatcom County homeless population is required in order to increase dignity, reduce suffering, manage vulnerability, overcome social disintegration, and help to achieve recovery from transitional
periods that displaced persons face. Displaced persons require protection from both environmental conditions and social isolation. However, in order to provide
an alternative to the current self help conditions of
homeless camps, resources and technical assistance
is presumed necessary to help segments of the homeless society to regain their footing in society.
We will examine Sustainable Design Solutions for creating Homeless Peoples Settlements to be embedded
in the diverse urban fabric. Our design concepts will be
informed, in part, on the review of current policy and
approaches to providing homeless relief, as well as independent research and conversations with informants.
Our ideas and concepts will attempt to respond to the

PROJECT CHALLENGE AND GOALS

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

8
Introduction to the OCEAN Process:
Progressive Action In 5 Steps

OPENNESS, CONSOLIDATION,
EDUCATION, ASSIMILATION, AND
THE NETWORK
Our plan to successful community care is characterized
by five key themes which fall under the acronym OCEAN:
1. The openness and willing attitude from the
community and lawmakers to shift their perception
towards homeless people and those undergoing
unfortunate conditions
• Humanity
• Collectiveness
• Patience and Understanding
• Community Bonds and Inclusionary Measures
2. The consolidation of human needs and services to
provide for those needs
• Territory
• Functionality
• Community Creation
• Services and Amenities
3. The education that can power a net positive social
capital and benefit everyone for the long term
• Self-empowerment Opportunities
• Socialization Mechanisms and Reinforcement

OPENNESS

5. Finally the network of people in the process and
4. The seamless assimilation back into the fabric of those who positively contribute to the system as a whole,
society with safe, secure, long term employment and whether during or afterwards.
• Role Models
housing options for all
• Community Members
• Final Community Integration
• Employers
• Reinvestment in the Local Community
• Service Workers and Caretakers
• “Booster” and Incentive Programs Throughout

CHAPTER 2

INTRODUCTION

Openness is the primary stipulation of the entire OCEAN
process, and perhaps the most necessary for tangible
change. It holds that we all must actively engage
ostracized groups and each other to prevent ignorance
and negative attitudes from spreading towards people
based on appearance, choices, company and overall
circumstance. While this is a lofty supposition, it is a

9
requirement for positive impact to take place in later
steps. Without a strong local involvement and goodwill
towards all in the community, the trends toward ostracism
and judgment will only perpetuate further. This cultural
shift is quite necessary to even begin to consider the
following steps, though it will take adjustments from the
whole community.
HUMANITY
Selflessness is essential in the long run. The natural
human impulse to help fellow beings will be extremely
beneficial in this case to shift cultural perceptions
towards homelessness and its associations. When the
entire community embraces a simple consciousness of
these issues and chooses not to simply ignore or look
down upon those in less fortunate situations, a more
equitable and ethical community can be realized.
COLLECTIVENESS
Every human needs to feel pride. This can come from
taking part in joint community efforts and bearing
responsibility for one’s self and others. Our actions
undoubtedly have an effect on the system as a whole,
and we must consider these at every turn. Close contact
with people of all groups keeps us reminded of the range
of daily issues we deal with as a society. Social capital
is the product of our combined actions, not the success
of a few individuals. If we as individuals feel mutual
responsibility for the well being of our local community,
we will each feel a greater stake in keeping it enjoyable
by all.

this process to help it along; as many follow solely by CONSOLIDATION
example when not given the proper methods to do
so alone. We must provide societal networks that in The second phase of our process is intended to bring
turn practice the proper morals, and are forgiving of together all the services and provisions needed for the
misunderstanding and difference.
later phases to be successful. This entails a variety of
circumstance and local legislative aid, as well as community support and involvement to take place. A curCOMMUNITY BONDS AND
rent shortfall of existing homelessness programs is their
INCLUSIONARY MEASURES
disconnect from each other. Despite their goals being
In line with collectiveness, bonding and inclusion are quite similar, the variety of current social groups and
essential to making sure everyone feels that they are programs do not communicate adequately with each
contributing positively to something tangible, and with other to ensure maximum effectiveness. Therefore, the
noticeable gains for all. Society has overemphasized following criteria must be provided in some form as a
individualism as an honorable trait, but that should be basis for the other later steps to carry weight.
coupled with an equal honor for inclusionary efforts
and community solidarity, the tangible manifestation
of openness. No significant gains are made alone,
and many unseen groups are wrongfully seen as noncontributing members of society. With the proper context
and skills, this trend can be reversed for the benefit of
everyone.

PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING
Though this contradicts many of the urges of modern
society, it must be understood that some people are
incapable of self-help, or at least cannot find the first
step to improvement alone. We all must take part in

THE OCEAN PROCESS AND PROJECT PATH

TERRITORY
The acquisition of land (the process of which will be discussed in subsequent sections) is the foremost tenet
for substantial positive impact to occur. We posit that
a mere community space is enough for most needs, but
most public spaces are detrimentally affected by overuse from certain demographics, like alcohol/drug users,
as well as the general perceived public nuisance from
the appearance of “homelessness” on or around public
spaces. Therefore we propose that the establishment of
formal public land for the sole intention of the gathering
and provision of services for ostracized groups be included in any serious effort to provide aid. This does not
mean the formation of ghettos with large swaths dedicated for tent communities, as has been seen in many
cities. Instead, one or a series of temporary “community
centers” will be provided for marginalized people with
provisions for those of a variety of needs. In essence
one wouldn’t have to be homeless or suffer from addiction to benefit from the services at these proposed sites.
FUNCTIONALITY
The overall usability and ability of the site must also

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

10
be taken into consideration, assuming that the simple
needs of Territory have been met. Discussed in detail
in the Chapter 3: SITES, these should be embedded in
the urban fabric properly without interrupting adjacent
uses, taking the community’s openness into account.
This incorporates the knowledge of existing utilities as
well as the size of the land available for potential outside
services to set up temporary medical or employment
assistance workshops on site. This is one of the most
essential stipulations of consolidation, as we have observed that, at present, many well-intentioned services
fall far short of their goals by spreading themselves and
their resources thin. Marginalized individuals live along
the periphery of society, spread out from each other and
the services they need. They would benefit from consolidated locations for services and the information needed
to find them.
COMMUNITY CREATION

for Community Creation.

EDUCATION
Education may be the single factor that prevents individuals from reassimilating into society on their own. Capable, intelligent people are kept from contributing tangibly
to the community through a lack of basic skills, technical
knowledge, and understanding of the social structure.
We must provide additional systems of learning in simple formats for a variety of people in places and ways
that are available to anyone, user-friendly, easy to find,
and encouraging of progress without pretense. This
is a huge obstacle to the success of the later themes.
We discourage learning that requires a defined tangible
result, but instead seek to employ an open forum style
of education that allows anyone to teach anyone else
skills they know well. We believe the best learning occurs when the individual is engaged and interested in
the topic or skill at hand; nothing in this theme can be
forced. We want individuals to encourage each other
to pick up new skills, and without any administration to
monitor progress, which could discourage some from
taking part in the process.

We view Community Creation as the culmination of all
of the OCEAN themes fully realized, but it is included
under consolidation as it represents the notion of functional collectivity. We imagine the final appearance of
successful implementation of these goals to be a harmonious, self-sustaining community of individuals with SELF-EMPOWERMENT
completely unique life stories and needs, working and
living together while learning from one another on their The best strides to be made under education should
path back to complete societal reassimilation.
come from within the local community, and if possible,
from expertised individuals within the marginalized
SERVICES
groups alone. We discourage learning services to come
and “preach” formal knowledge at those in need, as the
Services are the main provisionary mechanism. These information presented will seem distant and pretentious
rely on public donation, both financially and in donated to them. Instead the mechanisms for gaining skills and
time, as well as partnerships with private services from knowhow can be taught from those already in the sysmedical help and basic skills workshops to job training tem, and informally at that. We see this as the social
and resume building. This also relies on Territory for “workshop” model, with members offering up their own
a space to stage these events and workshops, which knowledge for the benefit of the community, and anywould come at a regular, predictable basis and generate one who wishes may sit in and benefit. Employing each
a pattern of consistency that forms the building blocks person’s individual wisdom to a variety of skills and dis-

CHAPTER 2

INTRODUCTION

ciplines would yield positive results for not only potential
employers, but also the entire marginalized community,
while fully embracing the tenets of consolidation within
the local society.
SOCIALIZATION
Socialization is the transition from gained self-empowerment into tangible societal benefits. Employing the skills
and knowledge gained from within the community to be
put towards social capital and long term employment is
education’s ultimate goal.

ASSIMILATION
The fourth theme is the implementation of the previous
themes into something tangible. Our goals for the

11
OCEAN process essentially flow into assimilation. In
a functional community of caring and hardworking individuals, with the responsibility for themselves and the
others around them, the final realization of a successful system is societal reassimilation. This would appear
as the individuals who started from nothing, joining the
community, finding and holding long-term employment
without issue, and moving into long-term, livable housing with their needs fully provided. There is no timeframe for ensuring that this happens, instead we expect
to see a full range of people completing the system
successfully in anywhere from a matter of weeks to a
matter of years, depending on their previous social status and mental health. This is the final intent: ensuring that all are cared for and in turn, caring for others.
While they take personal strides throughout to increase
their desirability to the local community, the community
in turn meets them halfway with the openness befitting
a modern moral society and the provisions and services
necessary to assist for the wide variety of needs of the
individuals.
COMMUNITY INTEGRATION
At the end of the OCEAN process, we envision marginalized groups no longer witnessing the same attitudes
towards them from the local community. The community
will have seen their transition and goodwill, while they in
turn will personally no longer be rejecting the community
for their inflexibility and judgment. Employment opportunities, housing, and acceptance await at the end of the
long road to integration. While not easy by any means,
we see this as not a possibility, but the ultimate gauge
of success of the process; anything less is a failure on
the part of the local community and the individual’s will.
REINVESTING LOCALLY
After completing the OCEAN process and reassimilating, we also hope to see individuals returning to those

still in the process to offer advice, training, motivation
and positive models for success. The “I did it, so can
you” phrase would be fitting in this context. Bringing
skills and personal pride back to the community is the
greatest builder of social capital. When one person’s
success is visible by all, it is not only encouraging, it
becomes the pride of the entire community.
“BOOSTING” PROGRAMS
Once out seeking work or housing and having completed OCEAN, certain private or public institutions may
form to help with the final steps of assimilation. These
“boosters” can help link members with existing employers or housing options, in a serious and dedicated manner. These programs should appear at the community
center, or in a prominent public location shared by all in
order to increase their visibility (included in consolidation), and motivate those still in the process of the goals
at hand.

will have overcome incredible hardship, and their experiences should be shared with the community to impact
the openness of the society.
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
These are everyday people, whose interactions with
those in OCEAN will have a drastic effect on its outcome. We would encourage everyone to promote social contact with those in the process, to show goodwill
towards their efforts, as well as educate themselves socially to the detriment of circumstance. This will help decrease judgment towards homelessness from all angles,
and protect Community Bonds.
EMPLOYERS

Employers should be active in the OCEAN process, as
it will promote faith in the system, and strengthen local
community. They themselves can be responsible for offering workshops and resume training sessions for those
working towards employment. Their voice in the system
NETWORK
will help those in OCEAN to understand what is needed
While perhaps not a step itself, this is a theme in the by the community in terms of productivity and activity.
OCEAN process with significant weight. The network is As they have a high stake in the outcome of the process,
the entirety of the community, participants in the OCEAN employers should stay close to OCEAN participants.
process, and individuals with special stake in the outcome of the system. We who form the network and act SERVICE WORKERS AND CARETAKERS
consciously only increase the solidarity and protect the
vitality of our community, by caring for all within it (open- Those who offer medical assistance, needle exchanges
and other services to marginalized groups will undoubtness, consolidation).
edly be involved in OCEAN. These service people today are closer to these groups than most of us already,
ROLE MODELS
so their insight as to the needs and attention required
Role models are the individuals who have completed for a functional system will be invaluable in the long run.
the OCEAN process and fully reassimilated into society. As long as the rest of the community promotes openThey will act as social ambassadors of sorts to the com- ness and embraces the positive nature of the program,
munity at large, as well as maintaining ties to OCEAN, the burden will shift off of private service providers and
speaking to, and motivating current participants to meet charities, and they will free up resources that can be
their potential (see Reinvesting Locally). These people contributed to consolidation and provision.

THE OCEAN PROCESS AND PROJECT PATH

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

12
LIABILITY & SAFETY

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Any temporary and permanent homeless settlement
community must be covered with a liability and safety
insurance protection policy. If an individual party is
injured, not due to their own fault, another entity may
be responsible for a claim. Transitional communities
would need some form of coverage.

The City of Bellingham is self insured with a coverage
limit of $50 million in liability. As the city’s contribution
to this proposed program addressing homelessness
in Bellingham, we would request that our proposed
transitional establishments would be covered under the
City of Bellingham’s liability insurance program. This
would ensure that there would be someone responsible
for claims made in the case of an accident or injury
within the establishment. Potential risk exposures may
include, but are not limited to; fires, general injuries,
flooding, and personal property theft and damages.
As part of the implementation of these homeless
housing solutions, the city should agree to extend its
umbrella liability insurance to cover these transitional
communities.
Within this system, if an individual is hurt within a city
facility, such as a city park, the individual must first
file a claim with the finance department. The Finance
Department forwards the claim to the city’s Legal
Department for review. The Legal Department shares
the case with the pertinent department. The Legal
Department then reviews all the case information and
makes a decision whether to pay or deny the claim. If
authorized, the claimant fills out necessary paperwork
and will receive a check with money taken out of the
city’s liability coverage funds.

Bellingham’s Comprehensive Plan recognizes the
conditions of Homelessness and has developed
public housing policies intended to lead to towards
solutions that may one day end homelessness.
Bellingham’s principle approach to addressing the
problem of Homelessness is to promote greater
access to standardized housing for the Homeless
population -- an approach that is intended as a humane
and permanent solution to the growing condition of
Homelessness. However, adequate funding is rarely
available to meet all the Homeless Persons’ demand
for permanent housing in our community, and, as
a result, many people continue to seek their own
alternatives to housing, often by creating Homeless
Camps on abandoned sites throughout the community.
These make shift communities offer less than ideal
solutions for people suffering from Homelessness,
where basic services are inadequate to protect the
health and safety of the occupants living in these
camps.
As a transitional step to help alleviate the conditions
of Homelessness, and, in particular, to address the
conditions found in most Homeless camps, this project
proposes short-term measures that can be taken
to create Self Sufficient Settlement Communities
as alternatives to unplanned Homeless camps. It is
intended as a short term gap measure that can be
immediately implemented, emphasizing the following
design objectives:
1. Make use of currently undeveloped or underutilized
public and private sites;
2. Invest public and/or donated funds to improve

CHAPTER 3

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

public health and safety;
3. Build upon the self-initiative and self-reliance of
Homeless occupants in the design, construction,
and maintenance of the Homeless Settlement
Community;
4. Design Homeless Settlement Communities as short
term, transitional, and portable, so that the entire
settlement may be relocated to other sites when
the occupied site is schedule for development to
accommodate more permanent uses;
5. Ensure that the beneficiaries of the Homeless
Settlement Community benefit from improved
connectivity to the local community and to public
services that are available to assist them.

OVERCOMING POLICY BARRIERS TO
THE CREATION OF TRANSITIONAL
SETTLEMENT COMMUNITIES
The concepts proposed in this plan intended as
short term, immediate, and temporary actions that
can be taken to address unregulated and unplanned
Homeless campsites that exist throughout the city. The
settlement designs proposed, however, fall well outside
conventional public policies and regulations for housing
and community development. In order to implement
gap measures and bring immediate improvement to the
conditions of Homeless camps, special considerations
must be made within the Bellingham Comprehensive
Plan and Zoning Ordinance in order to permit the
development of temporary shelter communities in
“temporary opportunity sites” throughout the city.
“Overlay” and “Floating” Zoning are methods used in
land use regulation that provide for the accommodation
of special use activities subject to special or conditional
use permits to permit activities for a limited purpose.
Upon expiration of the special conditional use permit,
the activity could either apply for continuation or may
be relocated to another conditionally approved site.

13
OVERLAY AND FLOATING ZONING
Overlay and floating zones are used by many
communities where traditional zoning is not adequately
flexible to address unique community needs and
development proposals. To address this shortcoming,
local governments often establish alternative zoning
approaches which provide flexibility in order to solve
priority community problems. The overlay zone is a
special zone placed over an existing zoning district,
or part of a district, and includes a set of special
regulations that are applied exclusively to designated
properties within the overlay zone. The overlay zone
can establish the requirements for special types of
development that are otherwise disallowed in those
designated sites. Overlay zoning is similar to "floating
zones," however, the Floating zones are typically not
mapped. An overlay or floating zone supplements the
underlying zone with additional requirements and/or
incentives while leaving underlying zoning regulations
in place. Both zoning forms can be used to permit types
of development not permitted outright in the underlying
zone and through a special use permit, can serve to
allow the establishment of temporary emergency relief
housing as proposed in this plan.
A Special Use Overlay or Floating Zone should
be developed and adopted within the Bellingham
Comprehensive Plan to provide for the development
of transitional Homeless Settlement Communities
based on the suitability and availability of sites and
subject to the special approval by the City. In addition,
the zone should provide exemptions from the current
building and health and safety codes while concurrently
ensuring that protection of the public safety and health
of Settlement occupants are assured.

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LAND
ACQUISITION
Private Property Acquisition
The acquisition of private properties for temporary use
homeless camps presents a difficult financial challenge.
Often, these properties are listed at competitive market
values based on their highest and best economic use.
For purposes of securing short term use of idle private
property, temporary donation by the land owner may
provide a solution. Changes to charitable donation laws
make it possible to donate commercial property, for a
given period of time in exchange for financial benefits
to the property owner
When taking into consideration into ongoing property
taxes, maintenance costs and income taxes,it is often
financially preferable to donate properties to charities
than to hold for speculation in a volatile and uncertain
market. A charitable donation can significantly reduce
these legal and tax liabilities on the donated properties
while also supporting a charity.
One of the advantages to the donor is that the size
of the tax deduction is determined by the current
market value of the property, as opposed to the cost
of the property when it was purchased. The donation
of commercial property qualifies the owner for a tax
benefit based on the current fair market value of the
property - not on the purchase price of the property.

VEHICLE ACQUISITION
The donation of vehicles is an important part of the
proposed site. To keep costs low there will be a
vehicle donation program can be established through a
created non-profit organization, the city, or a third party
organization. These vehicles can be used to house the

homeless at the site. Vehicle donations can be used
as a tax writeoff thereby removing the added cost from
the city.

ACQUISITION OF PUBLIC LANDS
One of the most difficult aspects of implementing
a transitional housing settlement on public lands is
determining how the acquisition process would be
structured. There is plenty of land owned and operated
by the City of Bellingham for such an endeavor;
however, the uncertain component of the execution
strategy is how to get traction with respect to the
political and legal processes required, as well as how
to get stakeholders involved.
Local elected bodies can acquire land in various ways:
negotiated purchase, gift/dedication, eminent domain,
or tax default. Utilizing property that is already public
for a specific benefit will likely require that some entity,
whether public or private, develops a proposal and
commits to some sort of contract lease agreement with
the City. Perhaps those tasked with the implementation
procedures should consider contract zoning in which
local zoning authorities accommodate a private interest
by rezoning a district â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or specific parcel of land within
a district â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the condition that the restrictions are
accepted. Essentially, one would need a land use
right or occupancy permit with conditions and even
specific criteria for the target tenants, all under the
legal contractual regulations of a lease structure with
the property owner (i.e., the municipality). Another
implementation model to follow could be lease
approvals for temporary emergency shelters. Despite
the apparent complications with procedural details,
a strong point of such settlements is that they are
temporary and revolving, thus making them dynamic
and easily adaptable to various local conditions.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

14
RESEARCH: SITES

FACTORS AND SUITABILITY
Planning for a homeless settlement confronts a wide
range of social challenges. The initial hurdle for the
city is to find an appropriate site with a determinable
vacancy period. Vacancies may be numerous but this
research will outline and show examples of the specific
site factors to consider to help create a more functional
and accommodating settlement.
The design of the settlement will be greatly influenced
by the location and site features. This is why it is
important to designate a site location before figuring
out logistics and suitable architecture of the settlement.
Different sites will vary in scale, proximity, infrastructure,
transportation, client appropriateness, privacy, safety,
public awareness, amenity access, ground cover, and
existing structures.

CHAPTER 4

Scale- The size of the site will influence all
planning decisions. Different clientele groups can
require different site scales. For example, a site
concentrated on single individuals would not need to
be as large as a site for families. Its also pertinent
to the level of demand a region might have. If the
desired region is in a very dense area where interest
in a settlement is high a larger site would be more
appropriate. Resources will also be related to scale
and how much will be invested into the settlement.

different abilities and issues. Some people have
debilitating mental health issues or substance abuse
issues. Others are families who are out on the street
because they haven’t been able to find work for too
long. The homeless who are the target clientele in this
planning endeavor have been interviewed extensively
to determine their various wants and needs. The sites
chosen were intentionally picked to suit certain groups
of the homeless community better than others.
Transportation: A majority of homeless use public
transit. Ability to access this resource will be vital to the
economic recovery and basic needs of these individuals.
If the site is not near the city center it should be within
walking distance of one or more transit lines. The site
choice should not put availability or ease in front of
connectivity for the homeless.

Proximity- Analyzing the types and proximity of
buildings to a potential site will foster different clients
and designs. Travel is more difficult on foot and in
some cases carrying possessions along. Some
homeless individuals do have a vehicle or a bicycle,
however, a site’s proximity to bike lanes, trails, and
bus routes should be considered. Homeless families
further make a site’s proximity to schools another Safety: It is important to create an environment that will
be safe for a variety of clients as well as the surrounding
important factor.
community. Staying away from highways, waste zones,
Infrastructure: While the availability of all and industrial traffic will reduce accidents. Protection
infrastructure (water, electricity, sewer etc.) is greatly from the inclement weather can be offered by some
preferred, it is not always available. Whether or sites and not others. This will dictate the extent of roof
not the homeless settlement utilizes these things cover in the design.
will also influence the cost of a site. If a site design
uses self sustaining utilities then utilizing the city’s Public Awareness: It is essential that the community
where the sites might be located is fully aware of the
infrastructure may be less necessary.
process and goals of the project. Transparency in the
Privacy: The value of privacy is something that can process fosters goodwill for the project as a whole.
be taken for granted when you have a home. Those
without a home are forced to exist under the eye Amenity Access: Having close access to grocery,
of the public at all times. It stands to reason that a counseling, and health services will make the settlement
homeless individual would value additional privacy functional and livable.
during such a turbulent time in their life. Different
groups will require different levels of privacy, and this Ground cover type: There are advantages and
disadvantages to site design on top of gravel, concrete,
was taken into account when selecting sites.
grass, and soil.
Client Appropriateness - The homeless community
is comprised of a broad spectrum of people with Existing Structures: Sites with various existing
structures can yield a specific development focus.

RESEARCH: SITES

15
SITE TYPES

DESCRIPTION
Outdoor With Infrastructure - These locations will not
contain structures that could be used for housing. They
may have hook ups for sewer and electricity on the
site already where structures may have once existed
or were planned to exist. These would be ideal for
plans that would incorporate hooking up to existing city
infrastructure.
Port/Industrial Areas - These sites would take
advantage of large open spaces on our waterfront and
our industrial parks that are currently under utilized.
Many of these parcels are owned by the Port of
Bellingham and can be considered Public Land. This
gives the advantage of not needing to spend the money
necessary to acquire the land but instead being able to
work out a deal with the city for its use as a temporary
homeless community.
Marine Areas - Similar to the houseboats of Seattle,
this community could be living on the water aboard
boats or other seaworthy craft. These locations could
harbor a diversity of live aboard boats, houseboats and
floating houses.
Vacant Buildings - The advantage of this category is
that shelter from the elements and utility are provided.
The buildings at the locations would be temporarily
outfitted with an indoor homeless settlement design.

Outdoor With Limited/No Infrastructure - The
advantage to an outdoor site without infrastructure may
be its potential. It could be considered a blank canvas
ready to accept a variety of different design solutions.
These sites also harbor the potential to contain a
community completely off the grid.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

16
POSSIBLE SITES

LOCATED IN BELLINGHAM
This image displays local sites in context, chosen for
their suitability to the criteria identified at the beginning of
this chapter. Yellow sites are possible public and private
areas that could be dedicated to community building,
while green sites are the five specific locations identified
later on in the design concept chapters.

CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH: SITES

CONCEPTUAL SITES

17

FIVE DESIGN LOCATIONS

Hilton Avenue

Lakeway Gardens

Elwood Heights

Old RV Park

Mercer Field

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

18
PROFILE OF CLIENTELE
INTRO
With the goal of designing a transitional housing
settlement for a diverse group of people who are
currently homeless, a familiarity and understanding
of the end user was required. A variety of approaches
were employed to achieve this insight, including
literature reviews, casual observations, and personal
interviews with members of the homeless community,
individuals working to end homelessness, and
members of the business community. Furthermore, in
an effort to avoid overlooking the needs of the client
and designing a settlement that functions improperly,
it was decided that an ethnographic study would shed
light on the needs and desires of a population about
which little was known; such research will steer the
projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development process and the designs of
housing and community facilities in a manner that is
compatible with the lifestyle preferences of the users.
In addition to aiding in design strategies, the findings
have allowed us to recognize what capital assets and
transferable skills these individuals already have (i.e.,
employment experiences, education, hobbies) so that
they can build capacity amongst each other during
the implementation stages, and make community
contributions during and after their tenure at the
transitional housing settlement.

HOMELESS POPULATION IN WHATCOM
COUNTY
As of 2013, there are approximately 561 citizens
in Whatcom County that have no place to call their
home [1]. Due to a wide range of factors, individuals
ranging in ages - from newborns to 73-year-olds - are
struggling to find permanent housing establishments
[1]. Whether this is a result from socio-economic

CHAPTER 4

factors, displacement from family ties, mental and
physical health issues, and/or substance abuse,
such individuals and families are burdened with the
responsibility of finding a place for eating, sleeping,
and leisurely activities. (insert pic titled reasons for
homeless) An identification of the social profiles of the
homeless in Whatcom County and the reasons for their
vagabondage are necessary to find and implement
solutions to their current circumstances.

RESEARCH: CLIENT PROFILES

In Whatcom County 73% of the homeless are single
citizens who are forced to endure a self-reliant lifestyle
[1]. 133 homeless citizens are under 18 years of
age, without a parental figure to seek guidance from
[1]. 35 of the 561 displaced citizens were recently
released from jail and are currently searching for a
way to get back on their feet [1]. The median age of
the dispossessed population in Whatcom County is 46
years old, and of the total homeless citizen population,

19

277 of them have a disability and 31 are veterans [1].
294 of the homeless are single individuals of which
151 are single parents [1]. 138 of the homeless folks
are residing in emergency shelter facilities, 109 are
currently in transitional housing, and 178 have been
homeless for 12 months or more [1].
These statistics were based upon records at a specific
time, meaning these number could only be estimates
of the real number of homeless people in Whatcom
County. A goal of this research was to look past the
statistics and find what these people were experiencing
and what they as individuals needed from the
designers to make a livable community. The following
case studies gave some of that insight that was then
broken down into qualifiable information.

CATEGORIZATION - BREAKDOWN BY RISK
The homeless population of Whatcom County
can be divided into four risk assessment categories:
high, medium, low, and beneficial. High risk individuals

are those that are dangerous to themselves and others.
These citizens are illicit drug users, those who suffer
from chronic alcoholism, people with severe psychiatric
problems, sex offenders, and individuals prone to
inciting violence. Although these individuals have their
issues, getting them into a home would help them
become safer human beings.
Medium risk persons are citizens that are
solely dangerous to themselves. These include
dependent drug users, alcoholics, and citizens with
minor psychiatric issues. The third category is low
risk citizens that source negligible nuisances. These
vexations include individuals that are recreational drug
users and those that hoard belongings to a point of
being classified as a degraded entity. Low risk citizens
also have behavioral quirks like paranoia, obsessive
compulsive disorder, and socially isolated lifestyles.
The final group is beneficial individuals who execute
positive actions towards their collective groups and
society at large. Examples of beneficial citizens are
social individuals with high social capital, motivated
leaders and mediators, and technically competent
persons.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR AT THE
LIGHTHOUSE MISSION
The volunteer coordinator at the Lighthouse Mission,
Jessica, was able to offer unique insight into how the
diversity of clientele might affect the settlement. In
describing a night at the Lighthouse Mission shelter,
Jessica said that everyone shared one large room, and
this posed no problems. This reveals that our proposed
settlement should be able to accept anyone who is
homeless, regardless of age or gender. Jessica also
suggested limited entrance barriers to the settlement,
and recommended an interview process to screen
out any person that would not be a great fit for the
settlement, or may need to seek other services.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

20
Alvin

Free Will, Robert, Jay, and Everett

Sonny

In an interview with four homeless males, aged twenty
to sixty, it was agreed that their ideal transitional
settlement would be ‘outdoorsy’, contain community
facilities like a kitchen, and that they would be able
to drink alcohol. In fact, many homeless people
stated that the alcohol free environment at the Light
House Mission kept them from using their services. In
addition, there exists an eagerness to learn skills that
would help them live better and to be able to secure
jobs. It was also implied that the settlement should
offer privacy. (insert pic titled Robert (blackout) Privacy
is an essential emotional need, and serves as an
opportunity for rest and reflection. Privacy is hard to
come by when you do not have a place of your own,
and therefore will be an important component of any
successful community. A sense of privacy is intertwined
with the feeling of being secure, another indispensable
element of a successfully functioning settlement that is
sought after by the potential members of the homeless
community.

After meeting with Sonny, an individual currently
looking for work and a citizen without a home, it is
apparent that he is a person of clarity working hard
to get back on his feet. Sonny made it clear that he
became homeless due to conflicts with his employers.
After he was let go by these employers, he made it
clear that he became lazy and stopped looking for
work. Soon, due to not having a job, Sonny’s life
spiraled towards homelessness and he is faced with
the situation he currently lives through daily. Staying
at a friend’s home in Bellingham, riding miles from
interview to interview, Sonny still looks for a job.
Although Sonny realizes that he is in his current
situation due to his own mistakes, the fact that he does
not have a family as a fallback leads to the conclusion
why he is homeless. There isn’t a doubt that due to
Sonny’s incredible work ethic, as displayed by his selfpropelled commute to daily job interviews miles away,
and positive outlook on life, he will soon find a job and
a home and get his life back on the right track.

CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH: CLIENT PROFILES

Alvin was born Dec. 30th 1954 in Bellingham,
Washington. He was raised in Everson where he lived
for 30 years. His family operated a farm there with
50 acres right on the Nooksack - he used to drive
Studebakers through the fields as a young man. He
expressed that his father was “destructive” and that he
went astray at 19. He signed up for the Marines and
after finishing the writing test, he lasted 11 days in boot
camp. His parents are still alive and and he mentioned
that he recently saw them for their 60th anniversary.
He explained that he has spent time in psychiatric
wards on multiple occasions and that he even worked
at a naval hospital in Palo Alto. During the time of the
interview, he explained that he had been sick with
the fever and hadn’t spent much time outside of his
motel room at the Aloha Inn - a place where voucher
programs have allowed him to stay with subsidized
(“specialized”) rent. In his spare time, he watches
television in his room and plays his 12-string guitar.
Before his tenure at the Aloha Inn, he spent time living
at other motels and along the Lincoln Creek trail behind
the Fred Meyer (aka “the Jungle”), where he camped
out to live five years ago. He explained how people are
always running in and out of that area and how he had
his Yamaha acoustic guitar stolen from him there.
Alvin owns a mountain bike as well as a WTA bus
pass. He appears to be a resourceful man, having
acquired his bike from the HUB and getting meals
from the Lighthouse Mission. He explained that he
has experience with electronics, fixing tube amps,
television sets, and other appliances. He has some
educational background in electronics from Bellingham
Technical College (1972 - 1973).

21
as an electrician at residences throughout Woodside
and Palo Alto - he even did a job for Bill Walsh, the
former head coach of the San Francisco 49er’s and the
Stanford Cardinal Football team.

DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES
To ensure that the public was well represented,
businesses were asked to speak about the homeless
situation in Bellingham. Everyday Music is in close
proximity to the WTA Bellingham station which makes
it a destination for transient individuals.Two employees
revealed their experiences of encountering the
homeless while working at Everyday Music. Potential
customers were reluctant to enter Everyday Music due
to the crowd of homeless citizens that are believed
to be participating in an “open-air drug market”.
This barrier to customers, combined with incidents
of indecent behavior and disorderly conduct, has
a detrimental effect on Everyday Music’s business
operations. Both employees gave positive responses
to the proposed temporary homeless settlements. They
believe that a safety net for high risk individuals and a
safe and supporting community are paramount for the
successful transition out of homelessness.

Craig
Craig is a homeless resident in Bellingham who is
originally from San Jose, California. He is 52-yearsold and he has spent the last 20 years in Washington
State. He used to sleep along Whatcom Creek near
Maritime Heritage Park where he explained that he
had some of his possessions stolen from him. He said,
“It’s gone. I can’t control it - its over. Someone else
needed it more than me.” Despite this, he still feels that
Maritime Heritage Park is a safe place to be because
you can surround yourself with good people.
At one point he was employed by Heritage Electric
out of Campbell, California. He worked a lot of jobs

The manager of the Horseshoe Cafe, a small
restaurant that remains open 24 hours a day in the
heart of downtown Bellingham, explained that the
Horseshoe is frequented by a variety of patrons,
including the transient population. The manager,
who also volunteers at a local men’s homeless
shelter, described his experiences and and gave
recommendations for a transitional housing settlement.
“They only wanted to sleep, but getting eight hours
is hard. At the center they must be out by 6 A.M.”
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the drain of
public resources on utilizing police officers to throw
homeless citizens into jail. He presumes that a
transitional homeless settlement will help dissolve

the “us and them” social barrier, as long as it is “like a
neighborhood”.

References

County, Whatcom. "Whatcom County Coalition to
End Homelessness 2013 Annual Report." A HOME
FOR EVERYONE - Whatcom County Coalition to
End Homelessness 2013 Annual Report. Bellingham:
Whatcom County, 2013. . Print.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

22
RESEARCH: COMMON FACILITIES
PHYSICAL FACILITIES
Community facilities encompass a significant portion of
any housing settlement.There are a multitude of basic,
daily necessities that any individual resident of a community requires, but specifics will vary greatly depending on the site and qualities of the specific settlement.
The biggest decision is whether to create individual private amenities, shared facilities, or to rely upon offsite
facilities. For example, individual bathrooms may not
be necessary if a common building were utilized and all
bathrooms were consolidated together in a single location. The following is an overview of physical assets
and facilities that should be considered.

nutritional consultation, yoga, counseling, job seeking workshops, and resume building. A head office or
administration room could be used to help with facilities
organization, family/tenant requests, filing complaints,
and other organizational functions. This office could either be staffed by an external hired individual(s) or self
governed by residents. Community communication is
very important and could be maintained using a blackboard/whiteboard to share information. Additionally, a
community phone, voicemail system, and computer(s)
with internet access would provide community members with the linking capital that is heavily relied upon in
today’s society.

After initial necessities have been addressed, additional amenities could be included based on budget
and needs. The following is just a sample of items that
could be included: library, personal or shared garden
Water is the fluid of life so it’s logical to start there. The areas, visitors quarters with cots, a separate room or
bare minimum necessities should include bathrooms,
small private space (that could be used for medical
sinks, showers, laundry space and kitchen space.
care or job/legal consultation), a phone/computer room
When considering numbers, 4-6 individuals per bathwith internet access, a work bench area, and/or picnic
room is a good baseline to start, with fewer facilities
benches for outside seating. Additionally, a “Take it Or
necessary for laundry and other shared tasks. In the
Leave It” type space for donations, a drop off location
kitchen, the amenities could be comprised of a sink,
for local non-profits, community groups, and faithstove, microwave, refrigerator, and more kitchen apbased organizations, and/or a virtual furniture bank
pliances as necessary. This can also be augmented
(Opportunity Council’s idea) could help furnish resiby storage spaces such as a pantry, cupboards and a
dents’ rooms. Potential recreation components could
root cellar. If privacy is a concern these spaces can be include: a playground for kids, horseshoes, basketball
lockable. If possible, it seems that utilizing user-friendly hoop/court, pool table, ping pong table, soccer field and
appliances could be helpful. Many of these newer appli- the like.
ances, like coffee makers, irons, clock radios, copiers,
printers, curling irons and computers, feature automatic For transportation, the common facility could provide
shut offs. This feature could prevent health and safety
on-site parking for both residents and visitors. Tapping
issues that may arise with individuals not accustomed
into public services like the Washington Transit Authorto using standard appliances.
ity (WTA), ride shares, and local school busses provide
vital transit links. The WTA offers Reduced Fare Cards
Additionally, a large covered space for social events
if at least one of the following is met: possession of a
and gatherings is a recommended asset. The shared
valid Medicare card, proof of Social Security income
space could be fully enclosed or just an outside caneligibility, valid Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Identification with
opy. A classroom, or continuing education/multi-use
at least 40% disability and those 65 years of age and
space, could be used for many different things like
older. The Reduced Fare Card or a Medicare Card can

CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH: COMMON FACILITIES

23
be presented on fixed route or flex buses to receive
a 50% cash fare discount. Additionally, WTA transit
buses accommodate people who use wheelchairs and
who have hearing and sight disabilities. Busses are a
fantastic asset, but many other options exist too.
Bicycles are already a common choice for many homeless individuals. To help support and promote this low
cost and practical solution, a bike rack, ideally with a
covering as shelter, should be included at the facility
location. To incentivize this mode of transport even
further, a bike share program could further help promote independence for the homeless, while reducing
reliance on motor vehicles and increasing freedom of
mobility when bus transit schedules are limited, like
on nights and weekends. Additionally, cycling provides many health benefits. Washington DC, Oregon,
and Florida have all successfully implemented similar
programs, just to name a few. Bellingham already has
potential partners such as the Hub Community Bike
shop, Everybody Bike (everybodybike.com), Smart
Trips (whatcomsmarttrips.org), and over half a dozen
local bike shops. In locations with a proximity to local
greenway trail systems, encouraging biking and walking both can have enormous benefits to residents.
Food is also a daily necessity with varied options for
meal provision on a communal scale. Meals could be
potluck-style on a regular basis with residents expected
to participate in group preparation in order to share
meals, possible rotating a weekly schedule. There’s
potential for partnership directly with the Bellingham
Food Bank and and local restaurants and organizations
that are already in the habit of donating excess food.
Other available partner include organizations like Joe’s
Gardens and the community Co-op, both for food growing advice, meal preparation and nutrition classes.

SERVICES
Community facilities provide a vital hub for the wellbeing of a settlement community’s residents. At its base,
a communal building is an access point for residents
to utilize basic necessities like a large kitchen space

and pantry, laundry area and the full range of waterbased amenities. Physical features alone don’t create
a thriving community however. The services offered by
a strong neighborhood provide vital connections to the
larger Bellingham community, whether they are internalized features offered on-site or part of a network of
externalized services offered to residents of these and
similar communities.
The first type of services and arguably the most important category are health-based. Though there are some
resources available for low-income residents to receive
treatment for various conditions, these facilities can be
challenging to access or if not well-advertised, unused
by populations who particularly need this type of guidance and services. Providing both an on-site meeting
space to offer services, and a community blackboard
with an updated calendar to advertise the multitude of
services available in the greater community constitute a
two-part benefit housed in a central communal hub.
For women of childbearing age, the “Born in Bellingham” website outlines resources provided at low to no
cost for new moms and moms-to-be. The Whatcom
County Pregnancy Clinic downtown has a no-cost
ultrasound program for qualifying patients, resources
for discussing pregnancy options and the Clinic’s free
“Earn While You Learn” program acts as a hub to provide information on childbirth, development, parenting
help and nutrition for moms and newborns. Once participants have fulfilled the learning requirements, they
earn “Mommy Money” or “Daddy Dollars” to spend on
supplies housed in the Clinic’s Shoppe. The YWCA’s
“Back to Work Boutique” offer free clothing for women
seeking employment to be interview-ready. The ParentHelp123 site offers access to local low-cost clinics,
family support and other resources.
Additional services for all residents could aid in supplying holistic care to address diverse health needs.
Scheduled counseling would provide one-on-one or
group help for recent veterans, families struggling with
divorce, those in rehab for drug or alcohol treatment

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

24

Ideally, the community facility would house an on-site
health resources space in the future, so residents could
receive basic medical care, nutritional consultations
and other services on a weekly or monthly basis from
visiting health care experts, counselors and the like.
In the meantime, the health and wellness resources
available in the Bellingham community are vast and
can provide the basis for meeting these needs when
residents are appropriately aware and connected.
A second important service in need of provision, one at
the root of the struggle for a large majority of homeless
individuals, is economic-focused aid, especially emphasizing job creation. One resource available to Bellingham residents is LAW: Legal Assistance by Whatcom
Advocates which has an Access ID project to help
individuals through the process of acquiring an official
state ID as well as obtaining disability benefits. LAW
also offers free, bimonthly legal advice drop-in clinics
at the Bellingham Public Library. Other resources for
job-creation are offered through Opportunity Council,
such as financial literacy and renter education classes,
employment case management support, work first
employment programs and the Fresh Start Espresso,
a coffee shop that provides on the job training to help
gain skills and find employment.

slots, as well as a number of shared phones tied into
the Community Voicemail system. To help those who
arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet computer-literate, Work Source on Prospect
St. provides classes on email, Excel and basic literacy,
as well as those to help with interviewing and resume
writing techniques. Periodic job fairs and aid for those
seeking re-employment after being laid off are additional services housed here. Another downtown resource,
the Lighthouse Mission on Holly, provides a drop in
center from 12-4:30 for trainings through Salvation
Army and Good Will.
Additional services encompassed in the communal facility might include gardening and food-based
workshops to help families increase their own food
security. A potential partnership with WWU Service
Learning could aid with site tasks, especially in the first
few months of startup. Offering housing and rentereducation workshops would aid families transitioning
out of their communities into more permanent housing
situations.

Adults No Children
61, 11%

At one point in time during January 2013 there were
561 homeless people (396 sheltered and 192 unsheltered) in Whatcom County. Of those, 295 were unaccompanied adults, 151 were single parents, 54 were
two parents and 61 were adults with no children. All of
the statistics in these four paragraphs are taken from
the 2013 A Home for Everyone: Whatcom County Coalition to End Homelessness Annual Report. The age
of the homeless varied, but a majority were adults and
50% were males and 50% were females. With a limited
amount of physical and service based resources and
such a large number of homeless we will need to prioritize which resources are going to be the most needed
so there will be enough to go around.

RESEARCH: COMMON FACILITIES

Single Parent
151, 27%

Unaccompanied
295, 52%

PRIORITIZING NEEDS

Those seeking employment need access to a working phone and computer with internet access so as to
keep-up-to-date and reachable should jobs become
available. The community facility would hopefully house There are some resources that are equally important
at least one internet-connected computer with sign-up
for all homeless people. A basic need is stable housing.

CHAPTER 4

Homeless Persons by Family Type

Two Parents
54, 10%

Age Distribution of All Homeless Persons
40%
35%

35%
30%

% OF POPULATION

and others. A well-rounded picture of wellness provides
non-medical services too, so offering yoga and wellness classes in a small classroom or continuing education space in the communal facility would be a future
goal. There are already groups in the community such
as 3OMS Yoga offering weekly by-donation classes,
so perhaps teachers from these groups could aid in
supplying such service resources for the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
residents.

25%
20%

17%

15%

12%

11%
10%
6%
5%

7%
4%

4%

3%

1%

0%
0-4

5-9

10-14

15-17

18-21
AGE

22-24

25-34

35-54

55-64

65+

25
Reason for Homelessness by Household
Economic

41%

Family Break-Up or Crisis

28%

REASON FOR HOMELESSNESS

Mental Illness

27%

Victim of Domestic Violence

23%

Alcohol or Drug Use

23%

Temporary Living Situation Ended

22%

Lost Job

22%

Illness

21%

Evicted

16%

Convicted of a Felony/Misdemeanor

11%

Lack of Job Skills

5%

Discharged from an Institution

4%

Medical Costs

3%

Lack of Child Care

2%

Language Barrier

1%

Aged Out of Foster Care

1%

Out of Home Youth

1%
0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

% OF POPULATION

Homeless Persons With Disabling Conditions

DISABLING CONDITION

Mental Illness

37%

Physical (Permanent)

22%

Chronic Illness

19%

Developmental

13%

Substance Abuse Disorder

12%
0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

There are a few options for the homeless of Whatcom
County, and the Opportunity Council and Catholic Community Services are two programs that help get people
into safe homes. Resources that would help generate
income and benefit those seeking employment are very
important since the top two reasons for homelessness
in Whatcom are “economic” and “loss of job”. Some
resources on ways to help get a job are listed in the
paragraphs above. General health care is also a must
to be able to provide for our communities so people can
stay healthy. In these proposed communities there will
likely not be enough funding to have the physical facilities of a normal home, so it’s important to prioritize. As
mentioned above, water-based physical facilities would
be the most important, such as bathrooms, showers
and sinks. Also a community building would be crucial
so all of the residents could gather and have meetings
or shared meals while fostering community building.
There are a large number of homeless families in
Whatcom and children under the age of 18 make up
24% of the homeless population. Families have unique
health needs, as with busy schedules parents may be
unable to carve out the time necessary for adequate
wellness when caring for one or more young children. Pregnant women have ongoing needs including
scheduled ultrasounds, checkups and other wellness
measures. Education for the children is necessary so
that a community’s proximity to schools and bus routes
will need to be taken into account to maintain regular
school attendance. As far as physical facilities are
concerned, the homes that are being designed for the
families will need to be larger and have more resources
inside to be able to accommodate a greater number
of people. A private bathroom with a toilet and shower
would be great for each housing unit as well as kitchen
area with some appliances to be able to cook meals for
the family. Also a living room area would be important
for family gatherings. Pregnant women also have

special health care needs that would sometimes need
to be very urgent, so easy access to facilities for this
population would be crucial.
A large number of the Whatcom homeless also have
disabling conditions such as mental illness, permanent
physical damage and chronic illness. These individuals
would need easier access to specialized health care
resources. These conditions may prevent them from
getting jobs or having a steady income, so providing
services to provide income, possibly from government
sources, would be crucial. Counseling services would
also be important for this population, especially those
with mental illnesses, so having these resources onsite
would be very helpful. There was a correlation between
mental illness and substance abuse, and it was found
that 24% of people that reportedly had a mental illness
also had a problem with substance abuse. Counseling services would also be important for those with
substance abuse as well as health services that help
people maintain control of their health. As far as physical facilities go, a community area would be important
so there would be a place for people to gather and do
group activities. Another group that could fall into this
category of needing a sense of community would be individuals that have had trouble with domestic violence.
23% of the Whatcom homeless reported that one of the
reasons they were homeless was because of domestic
violence issues. This group would also need access to
counseling services, and it would be crucial for them to
be part of a community where they would feel safe and
comfortable.

% OF POPULATION

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

26
RESEARCH: SANITATION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE

SOLAR PANELS
Solar Panels are becoming an increasingly more efficient
and less expensive method for producing electricity.
During cloudy conditions that frequent NW Washington,
solar photovoltaic cells will continue to collect energy,
although at a reduced rate.

ELECTRICITY
GRID CONNECTION

Perhaps the most reliable and economical option for
electricity access is to simply connect to the power grid.
If the community is located within, or close to the city
limits, it is likely that a power pole is located nearby for
connection.

Solar panels are easily mounted on top of most any type
of structure, and for increased mobility, a solar system
can be self-contained within a trailer.
WIND TURBINES

To avoid unnecessary cost and complications,
a temporary power service may be requested.
Temporary power is often used in the construction
industry and allows for 110v and 220v extension cables
to be run from a centrally located power meter, circuit
breaker, and outlets provided by the utility company or
electrical contractor.

Small-scale wind turbines work very well in conjunction
with solar panels. They can be integrated into the
system, and have the advantage of provide a supple of
energy at night and when solar panels are producing at
a reduced rate.
Wind turbines should be elevated as high as possible
to collect the most energy. A metal pole braced to
the ground with cables is an inexpensive method for
mounting a turbine, or if available, trees are often used
to elevate wind turbines.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Alternative energy options may be considered if there
is no electricity connection readily available, or the
community is looking to eliminate or reduce the variable
monthly cost of an electricity bill.
Solar panels and small-scale wind turbines are both
viable options for raw energy production. A proper
system will require solar photovoltaic panels and/or a
wind turbine, a battery bank, a charge controller, and
an inverter. Some electrical amenities, such as a food
cooler, fan, or cell phone, can be connected straight
to the 12v battery bank and will not require an inverter.
Televisions, computers, and standard lighting will
require an inverter. An alternative energy system will
Both systems would require a more substantial upfront
cost, but that cost comes with the benefit of eliminating
an electric utility bill.

CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH: INFRASTRUCTURE

27
WATER
An adequate supply of fresh clean water is essential for
the health and wellbeing of any community. Ensuring
that this necessary amenity is safely and reliably
supplied requires adaptable and scalable solutions that
can be custom designed for unique site specifications.
There are many alternatives that present options for
accommodating communities of any size and delivery
techniques for handling water quality concerns.
When negotiating off-grid scenarios, it is important to
distinguish “potable” water from “non-potable” water.
Potable water is safe enough to be consumed by
humans while non-potable water is not. However, nonpotable can be used for irrigation and other uses where
it is not consumed.
ACCESS - MUNICIPAL SUPPLY
Like utilizing the existing power grid where it is available,
the most reliable and economical option for supplying
water is to simply connect to the municipal water network
when possible.
If the community is located within the city limits and
privately owned, accessing the existing infrastructure
provides the most logical solution. Municipally supplied
water is clean, safe, and requires minimal improvements
to infrastructure and no filtering or other treatment to
insure its potability.
DELIVERY AND STORAGE
Drinking water holding tanks provide the next-best
solution in locations where municipal access is not
feasible. Holding tanks may be used to store imported
water and/or water harvested on-site. They are available
in multiple sizes, styles and fabrics to accommodate the
needs and requirements of outdoor, indoor and longterm storage.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

28
With style options ranging from plastic tanks to flexible
storage units, these tanks can provide successful
drinking water storage where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed most.
Food Bank and and local restaurants and organizations
that are already in the habit of donating excess food.
Other available partner include organizations like Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Gardens and the community Co-op, both for food
growing advice, meal preparation and nutrition classes.

harmful micro-organisms and also by adding disinfectant
chemicals. Water is disinfected to kill any pathogens
which pass through the filters and to provide a residual
dose of disinfectant to kill or inactivate potentially
harmful micro-organisms in the storage and distribution
systems.
The most common disinfection method involves some
form of chlorine or its compounds such as chloramine or
chlorine dioxide. Chlorine is a strong oxidant that rapidly
kills many harmful micro-organisms. This method is
used by local water utility agencies but requires special
training and the handling of toxic chemicals.

RAINWATER CATCHMENT
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and deposition
of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the stormwater
system. Typically, rainwater is diverted off the roofs of
structures suchs as houses, sheds, or other buildings.
Uses include water for garden, water for livestock, water
for irrigation, and indoor heating for houses etc.

ACTIVE FILTRATION
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification technology
that uses a semipermeable membrane. This membrane
technology is not properly a filtration method. In reverse
osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome
osmotic pressure, a colligative property, that is driven by
chemical potential, a thermodynamic parameter.

The water collected may be redirected to larger storage
tanks. The harvested water can be used as drinking
water as well as for storage and other purpose like
irrigation. In most cases, water harvested in this way
must be treated to be potable.

Reverse osmosis can remove many types of molecules
and ions from solutions, and is used in both industrial
processes and the production of potable water.

GROUNDWATER WELL
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the
ground by digging, driving, boring, or drilling to access
groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water
is drawn by a pump and consumed as it is pumped or
stored for future use.

PASSIVE FILTRATION
Slow sand filters may be used where there is sufficient
land and space, as the water must be passed very
slowly through the filters. These filters rely on biological
treatment processes for their action rather than physical
filtration.

Wells can vary greatly in depth, water volume, and
water quality. Well water typically contains more
minerals in solution than surface water and may require
treatment to ensure potability and/or soften the water.

The filters are carefully constructed using graded
layers of sand, with the coarsest sand, along with
some gravel, at the bottom and finest sand at the top.
An effective slow sand filter may remain in service
for many weeks or even months and produces water
with a very low available nutrient level which physical

TREATMENT
CHEMICAL
Chemical treatment is accomplished both by filtering out

CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH: INFRASTRUCTURE

29
methods of treatment rarely achieve. for all homeless
people. A basic need is stable housing.

WATER ACCESS
Option

Pros

Cons

Notes

•
•
•

Portable
Collapses
Scalable

•
•
•
•
•

Expensive
Large Footprint
Need to be maintained
Need to be cleaned
Water must be imported

•
•
•

Could be installed under
superstructure
Multi-purpose
Solar gain

•
•
•

Portable
Scalable
Low Maintenance

•
•
•

Expensive
Need to be cleaned
Water must be imported

•
•
•
•

Extremely long life
Multi-purpose
Solar gain
Above or Below Ground

•
•

Free
Grey Water Systems

•

Must Be Treated

•
•
•

Easy
Constant supply
No servicing

•
•

Service may not exist
Service may not be sufficient
(not scalable)

•

Well

BAGS

HOLDING TANKS

CATCHMENT

MUNICIPAL

WATER TREATMENT
Option

Pros

Cons

Notes

•
•
•

Easy
Potable
Cheap

•

Requires Infrastructure

•
•

Portable
Scalable

•
•
•

Expensive
Maintenance Critical
Water must be imported

•

Off-Grid

•

Easy to Build

•

Suspect Water Quality

•

Off-Grid

•
•

Cheap
Any Water Anywhere

•
•

Myths about Technique
On site chemical stroage

•

Off-Grid

MUNICIPAL

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

CHEMICAL

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

30

HEATING SOURCES
Heat is a very important aspect of any community
especially in the Pacific Northwest where there is often
a long cold damp rainy season.
Heat can come in many forms from blankets to electricity
to a camp fire. AS a group the class looked into a few
different options for heating the home that are designed.

BLANKETS - $15-20

CHAPTER 4

PROPANE - $4-5 per week

RADIANT SOLAR - $2,000 / HOME

ELECTRIC -12 CENTS PER KW

ELECTRIC -路 Solar panels--$150-300 per panel

RESEARCH: INFRASTRUCTURE

31

TOILET OPTIONS

SHOWERS AND TOILETS
Often taken for granted, these utilities can vastly improve
the quality of life for transient people. There is also a
variety of options available that vary by cost or by the
site selected.
SHOWER OPTIONS
A PORTABLE SHOWER TRAILERInitial higher capital expenses may deter some, but the
benefits of a prefabricated mobile shower trailer more
than make up for the upfront cost. Renting or leasing a
small trailer can be upwards of 1,000 dollars a month
or a used shower trailer can be purchased for a few
thousand dollars depending on its condition.
These trailers come in a variety of options and sizes.
They require a source of water, power and a way to
dispose of wastewater. They come ready to use and
can be set up or taken down in a moments notice. They
provide all the comforts of a regular shower with the

added benefit of mobility.
SOLAR CAMP SHOWERSmall camp showers can be both cost effective and
sufficient for the needs of a small group. They come
in a variety of designs each with their pros and cons.
A simple camp shower could be built for under one
hundred dollars.

PORTABLE TOILET TRAILERAs with the shower trailer, this option has higher upfront
capital expenses. And again, it would need a water and
power source and also a method to dispose of sewage.
These trailers are easy to setup and maintain however.
They can quickly provide an essential utility. They come
in a variety of sizes. There is even the option to have a
complete bathroom trailer that would completely serve
the needs of a small community all within one trailer.

A very basic solar heated shower bag can be purchased
for less than twenty dollars. This option is cheap, but
it does have drawbacks. For one, they serve far fewer
people. Another drawback is that if they are solar heated,
people will be taking many cold showers in this climate.
COMPOSTING TOILETSThis option is cheaper and requires little in terms of
infrastructure. A composting toilet can be built for a
few hundred dollars. They require no water or sewer
connections. They can also be used to compost food
scraps. The drawback to these is that they require periodic maintenance and can only service a few people.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

32
HOLDING TANKS WITH PRIVATE PICKUP
When tapping into the sewer lines is not an option,
wastewater can be held in storage tanks. A private
sewage pumping service would then have to come and
periodically pump out the tanks. This option can get
rather expensive, but it requires little in terms of sewage
infrastructure. Holding tanks range in size and can be
as cheap as a few hundred dollars. Pumping services
are expensive though and can run as much as a couple
hundred dollars per pump session.
WASTEWATER REUSE
In certain setups, water that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contain raw sewage,
such as from showers and sinks, can be reused to flush
toilets or for other purposes. This greatly reduces
the amount of water consumed and the wastewater
produced at a site. It requires more complicated
infrastructure and therefore the cost of implementing
this system can be high.
SEPTIC SYSTEM AND LEACH FIELDWhere possible, the use of septic tanks and leach fields
can be very effective. These systems require minimal
maintenance and can serve the needs of a community
with little disadvantage. They tend to only be allowed
outside of city limits and often require a large empty area
for the leach field, so sites capable of using this are few.

WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS
One of the most burdensome infrastructure needs of a
community is what to do with sewage and wastewater.
Dealing with raw sewage can be hazardous to the environment and it can be a human health risk as well. Luckily, there are a couple of good solutions to this.

CHAPTER 4

TAP INTO SEWER LINES
Perhaps the easiest and most effective is to make use
of existing municipal sewage lines. If a site is within
city limits, this can often be a viable solution to a
communities sewage disposal issue. For a multi-family
sites in Bellingham, sewage disposal rates are under
one hundred dollars a month.

RESEARCH: INFRASTRUCTURE

33

WASTE MANAGEMENT
WHATCOM COUNTY

a given site. Size options also vary greatly, from small
household pickup to large dumpster service. Education
and encouragement of proper sorting will be important
for the cleanliness of the site.

Whatcom County is serviced by the Sanitary Services
Company (SSC), who provide a variety of recycling and
garbage options. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a private company with 3 recycling
centers and transfer stations throughout the county. The
services they provide include the disposal of household
garbage, medicines/sharps, electronics, scrap paper,
newspaper, bottles/cans/plastic, cardboard, and FoodPlus! Composting.
The wide variety of services and pickup plans allows
for a lot of flexibility in the overall cost and options of

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

34
GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE
RECOMMENDATIONS
MINIMIZE ENERGY CONSUMPTION TO VITAL
COMMUNAL AMENITIES.
Vital amenities may vary for each situation, but we can
look to other transitional communities for an idea. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dignity Villageâ&#x20AC;? in Portland, Oregon provides their residents
with communal outlets for charging electronics, food
refrigeration and preparation facilities, internet access,
and hot water for showers.
CENTRALIZE ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMING
AMENITIES TO THE COMMUNAL FACILITIES.
Centralizing electricity access will reduce the upfront
and monthly cost of electricity. Eliminating the cost of
labor and materials to wire and plumb individual housing units reduces upfront costs, and allows for water and
energy consumption to be monitored in central areas.
flush toilets or for other purposes. This greatly reduces
the amount of water consumed and the wastewater produced at a site. It requires more complicated infrastructure and therefore the cost of implementing this system
can be high.

COMMUNAL WASTE
Communal waste should be encouraged whenever
possible for the sake of accountability as well as reducing the overall cost. Large dumpsters for trash and recycling sorting stations are both important for the health
of the site.
CREATIVE RE-USE
Creative re-use is an interesting alternative that provides a productive use of spare time and an opportunity
for many unique solutions.
Potential uses include artwork, housing insulation, containers, furniture, and games among others. The image
(right) shows the use of old tires as flower planters.

CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH: INFRASTRUCTURE

35
FOOD PRODUCTION AND
SELF-HELP
COMMUNITY GARDEN

A community garden can be used as a stepping stone
to reintegrate homeless back into society. Incorporating
a community garden into a transitional housing site
provides many benefits to its residents. A garden
both nurtures and requires nurturing; this results in
a therapeutic atmosphere while providing residents
with the opportunity to develop a diverse skill set.
The skills residents obtain by caring for a garden will
play an essential role in securing their future out of
homelessness.
Benefits of having an on-site garden:
-On site therapy
- Life skills development, social & character education
- On-site employment experience
- Food production

ON SITE THERAPY

It is of the utmost importance to get struggling individuals
off of the street and provide them with a stable
environment which promotes personal development.
An onsite garden can help support and improve an
individual’s psyche by providing a therapeutic and
nurturing environment.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, 20-25% of the United States
homeless population suffers from a form of severe
mental illness [Hackett, 2014].
In Portland, Oregon, the Legacy Therapeutic Gardens
uses garden environments to provide therapy for
depression and anxiety [Legacy Health]. Providing
quiet, green and stable environments is important for
the personal development of these people. According to
Theresa Hazen, the coordinator of Legacy Therapeutic
Gardens, “Gardening stimulates the mind in a positive
and creative way and helps increase socialization skills
and promotes working as a team if gardening is in a
group atmosphere.”

LIFE SKILL DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL &
CHARACTER EDUCATION

A transitional housing community which offers its
residents the opportunity to develop skills while
providing services that can help the residents apply
them, is a system built for success. It is recommended
that the transitional housing community residents are
encouraged to help maintain the garden, this instills a
sense of responsibility and will act as a safe, consquence
free “work-like” environment. An on-site work-like
environment promotes and stimulates leadership, life
and technical skill development, as well as social and
character education.
Instilled life skills:
- Responsibility
- Leadership
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Home economics
Providing these services for struggling individuals will
help bring them back to the realities of living out of
homelessness. Building upon their sense of self worth
and mental health, a garden, no matter how big or small,
is an easily implemented tool that can greatly contribute
to the generation of social capital and wellbeing for
homeless or other struggling populations.

RESEARCH: FOOD / AGRICULTURE

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

36
FOOD PRODUCTION

ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY & ON-SITE
WORK EXPERIENCE

An onsite garden will also help the transitional housing
community prosper because the produce grown can be
consumed by the residents. Food production and selfhelp can work hand in hand in this way; in addition to the
garden being a means for therapy and skill development,
residents will be simultaneously growing enough food to
feed themselves and the onsite community. Crops that
can be grown year round in Washington state are: kale,
carrots, beets, potatoes, yellow onions, and turnips.
[Washington Group Vegetable Seasonality Chart]

A garden can be implemented on nearly any site to
create a self-sufficient community and provide benefits
to the residents to ensure both communial and individual
success. It is also possible, if the site is permits, to
scale up the garden to a profitable farm. An onsite farm
would offer an even more abundant range of benefits
to the residents, such as real on-site work experience
and developing a close connection with the outside
community. Not only is there the ability to produce
food crops but also room for other programs to be
implemented such as beekeeping, canning, gleaning,
and livestock such as chickens or goats.

* crops? PICTURE?

A farm could produce food and other products year round
which could be sold to the local co-ops, at Saturday
Markets, etc. A “farm model” has the potential to profit,
which could be used to help pay off site expenses.
This model would also provide a unique opportunity
for homeless individuals to assimilate back into society
by making face to face connections with people at the
markets and other social events. This up-scaled, farm
model will be discussed in depth in Chapter 5: Site Plan
5: Serenity Gardens.

There are resources within the Bellingham community
that can be utilized to train and educate the transitional
housing residents about gardening. Joe’s Gardens has
stated that they would be willing to provide seeds/cold
crops as well as informational sessions on site at Joes
Gardens to residents. [Gary, 2014]

Providing these services for struggling individuals will
help bring them back to the realities of living out of
homelessness. Building upon their sense of self worth
and mental health, a garden, no matter how big or small,
is an easily implemented tool that can greatly contribute
to the generation of social capital and wellbeing for
homeless or other struggling populations.

Another community resource, Cloud Mountain Farms,
offers a wide variety of classes which cover nearly all
the farming techniques one would need to know in order
to start and maintain a thriving garden; these classes
range from agricultural techniques to infrastructure and
construction techniques for onsite building. The majority
of the classes taught at Cloud Mountain Farms are free.
Cloud mountain farm high tunnel PICTURE

CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH: FOOD / AGRICULTURE

SITE PLANS

37

FIVE DESIGN LOCATIONS

Hilton Avenue

Lakeway Gardens

Elwood Heights

Old RV Park

Mercer Field

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

38
HILTON HARBOR SITE PLAN
SITE FEATURES
The Hilton Harbor site has two main sections to it; the hill
and the lower area directly adjacent to Bellingham Bay,
with some water access. Our design concept focuses
on the area to the Southeast of Hilton ave, shown at
right in red. Currently, the site is not subdivided from
the land West of Hilton Avenue, however it is zoned
for subdivision from the rest of the property, and we
propose not using the entire parcel for our design
scheme. There are no existing structures on the site,
but there are existing utility hook-ups extruding from
the ground. If these are not functional currently, utilities
would be easily accessible due to the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proximity to
other functional structures. The hill is currently covered
in grass, while the lower section is a mixture of grasses
and graveled areas. Because of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location
just outside of downtown, it is highly accessible to
emergency, transportation and general health services.
This location would also be ideal for providing our clients
with employment.

CLIENT PROFILE
The target demographic for the design process was
high risk homeless people. These individuals may have
Illicit drug use, chronic alcoholism, severe psychiatric
problems, or have history of violence and sexual offense.
It was important that the design of the settlement
reduced stress. This would help residents heal by

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 1: HILTON HARBOR

39
SITE LAYOUT
The concept for the proposal at the Hilton Avenue
site along the industrial waterfront includes a variety
of human-scale designs that can be implemented at
minimal cost per unit. It features a community kitchen
(situated on a tugboat or otherwise attainable structure
outfitted with the proper utilities and cooking necessities,
and a communal open space and event/workshop space
on the northwest corner of the site, possibly atop a semicovered barge or otherwise flat, usable space. Living
units in this concept appear in the form of re purposed
non-seaworthy vessels. These can be acquired through
public donation, or found inexpensively from local boat
dealers. To be living units the â&#x20AC;&#x153;boatsâ&#x20AC;? must be at least
18 feet in length, with the potential for some retrofitting
to accommodate long-term housing for between one
and three people per unit. If donated boats are under
the 18-foot minimum, they can be gutted and the
hulls can be re purposed as raised garden beds to be
shared by the community. Boardwalks will connect
the units to the kitchens and rest room areas, with a
public forum space at the center. This can appear as
a gazebo or outdoor seating area capable of fitting the
entire community for social gatherings and group votes.
Boardwalks connect the residences to each other and
to the community structures, maintaining the maritime
theme and contributing to the atmosphere of the site.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

40
HILTON HARBOR DESIGN
THE VISION

The reclamation of non-seaworthy boats as retrofitted
homes is an idea that, if seen into fruition, would change
the lives of many. Bellingham is a city rich with maritime
history and holds an abundance of resources for this
project. The project site sits on Bellingham Bay, and
is a perfect temporary fit to host a community of boats
on land to house the previously homeless. By taking
advantage of pre-existing structures, such as old boats,
half the work of â&#x20AC;&#x153;buildingâ&#x20AC;? housing is already done.
This project is unique in that it is intriguing and full of
character whilst serving its main purpose; to be a home.
Every boat that comes in brings its own stories and
harbors a foundation of liveliness for the community
group. With the right guidance and support, the
community members have a chance to be an active
part of building their home. As the community develops,
the current members can gain experience and skill in
either re purposing old boats to make them fit for living
or salvage and recycle parts that would have otherwise
gone to waste. This process could turn into a program
that can be assimilated into other job skills and/or
develop a new local industry.
From preliminary research done in the area, there are
plenty of boats that can be suitable as a living unit
that are either free or very inexpensive. The structure
of the community design calls for a communal facility.
This would be one larger boat, such a retired tugboat
or commercial fishing vessel. The communal boat could
be the sole boat outfitted with full utilities such as toilets
and showers, electricity, and kitchen facilities. The
consolidation of utilities to one boat would cut down
cost and stress on the site location. The communal
boat could also be outfitted for solar panels and rain

CHAPTER 5

barrels, as well as composting toilets, to mitigate use of resources. The optimal community size is around 20 to
30 members. The site layout would promote community involvement while maintaining the integrity of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own
space. The remaining boats would be simple living units to accommodate 1 to 4 people per boat depending on
the acquired boats and preference of inhabitants. The boats would be stationed in boat cradles and would not
constitute permanent structures. They would be connected by paths of raised boardwalk to define the shape of the
settlement and provide the concept of a cohesive community through obvious connectivity.

SITE PLAN 1: HILTON HARBOR

41
WATER, HEAT, BATH, AMENITIES
Potable water would be accessible through a community
boats existing water systems. Filtering systems,
siphons, and pressurizing systems could be removed
and water would be supplied directly via piping in the
boats hull. Drainage would connect to through-hull
fittings and work with nearby sewer systems.
Using Washington State plumbing system code as a
guideline it was decided that this site would require
6 toilets. This is based off the assumption that Hilton
site would provide space for 20-30 people. If a boat
lacks sufficient utilities they can be supplemented
with external units. They would be separate bathroom
facilities accommodating either men or women.
In addition to showers aboard the boat a portable
trailer with 6 shower stalls may be appropriate. It is
partitioned down the middle with 3 stalls on each side
to accommodate separate gender facilities. This trailer
does require a connection to water with a minimum
water pressure of 40 psi and a flow rate of 5 gallons per
minute (http://www.cohsi.com/rentals.htm).
The boats may not be designed, or in good enough
condition, for keeping the occupants warm during
colder months. It is a relatively simple process to add
insulation to the boats in the form of some reflective
and insulating layers. Each boat will have a layer of
Reflectix double reflective insulation, followed by a
layer of polyethylene foam, and finally another layer of
Reflectix insulation. Further insulation could come in
the form of greenery atop the boats, which would buffer
the internal temperatures as well as add characteristic
aesthetics to the residences.

COMMUNITY BOAT
Canopy provides outdoor rain cover and shade

Reinforced hull stands would support boat outside of
the water
Front door has ground access for visitors
Kitchen Area would ideally have a cooking area that
would encourage residents to get together for meals

Management operations could be ran in the bow of the
community boat
Lounging and eating
Office for any resident looking for a well work suited
space

Healthcare unit could give a private space for a resident
in the case of a medical emergency or illness recovery

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

42
TEAM CONCEPTS
INITIAL IDEAS AND RESEARCH

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 1: HILTON HARBOR

43
HILTON HARBOR IMPLEMENTATION
Hilton Harbor could potentially become a landmark
and a strong step towards a self helping community.
The abundance of unused boats and proximity to
Bellinghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich maritime heritage makes Hilton Harbor
the ideal transitional settlement near downtown.
The approval process for this settlement would begin
with building public awareness. This will help mitigate
costs as more people may be willing to donate their
unused boats. Afterwards boats would be surveyed
and selected for based on the needs of the settlement.
Volunteers would then help strip the boats of their
unneeded components while providing instruction
and example for new and future residents. Once the
community is established they can set their own ground
rules and management plans. Boats could continually
be added, installed and modified.
Since the Hilton Harbor design utilizes retired vessels
costs are on a lower range for encampment structures.
Re-purposing boats is not difficult to do and would
require only basic re-engineering. Campaigns to raise
funds will help pay for the use of tools and labor, other
public involvement could also potentially cut costs. Costs
are mostly long term and can be integrated to different
extents with different boats.
This settlement would be the stepping stone for high risk
homeless to live healthy lifestyles. Individuals wanting to
live in the settlement would be required to abide by the
communities procedures. Seasoned residents could be
elected to be in charge of managing meetings.

Many options were considered in the design process.
Hilton Harbor was chosen because of its message
in sustainability, equality, and culture. It is a feasible
solution and appropriate for the Hilton avenue site, and
our client group.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

44

SITE

LAKEWAY GREEN SITE PLAN

CHAPTER 5

The Lakeway Green is a proposed transitional housing
settlement located at the corner of Lakeway Drive
and Woburn Street. Currently, the City of Bellingham
operates its Clean Green facility where green waste is
recycled and transferred to larger compost facilities. In
addition to this site-specific service, the site hosts the
Lakeway Community Garden, a newly designed native
plant nursery, and woodshop operated by the Parks
Department - all of which provide opportunities for the
residents to oversee and assist the City’s operations in
which they could gain work experience and transferable
skills.
In addition, the settlement is in close proximity to
public transportation and is conveniently located within
a mile of the Lakeway Center, thus making grocery
shopping easy and accessible. Residents’ homes

SITE PLAN 2: LAKEWAY GREEN

will be located next to the community garden as well
as in the forested areas in the lot’s southeast corner.
This location provides noise mitigation measures
and pleasing aesthetic factors. The Lakeway Green’s
forested segments, with a paved trail system and well
maintained lawns, coupled with a new community
facility, will allow the residents to live in an engaging
community that fosters healthy interactions while
simultaneously providing them with quaint and quiet
living quarters.

45
CLIENT
The structure of Lakeway Green is best suited to serve
clients who can be identified as low risk and beneficial.
High and medium risk clients should not be overlooked,
but more intensive services should be focused on
these individuals. Low risk and beneficial clients
would thrive at Lakeway Green, which offers plenty of
capacity building opportunities in a setting with relaxed
oversight. This relaxed oversight will be supplemented
through beneficial individuals, who have high social
capital and are already well suited at making positive
influences within their communities. The amount
of capacity building and skill training opportunities
will provide all residents with skills to learn, keeping
themselves busy and igniting positive changes in their
habits and state of mind.

SITE PLAN
The overarching goal of Lakeway Green is to provide
an opportunity for homeless individuals to get their lives
back on track and start acquiring work skills, thereby
building their work skill capacity. Building capacity
consists of skills training, community involvement,
and social development. The extensive opportunities
for skills training, including the Clean Green Waste
facility, a community garden, a native plant nursery,
a community kitchen and a woodshop. These
opportunities make Lakeway Green an ideal transitional
work-to-housing settlement. This specific site is well
positioned to teach residents a variety of skills that they
will be able to take with them, thusly allowing them
to begin to build the foundation for their new lives.
In addition to learning new skills, the residents may
allow for Clean Green Waste to increase its hours of
operations, making it more convenient for users of the
facility. Here, residents have a place to call their own
and will have the opportunity to fall into a routine in
which they can sleep easy, learn, and become mentally
and physically healthier.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

46

Lakeway Green is designed to be a community
where neighbors know each other. The layout of
the community will be oriented so that the residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
eyes fall onto the community spaces and cityowned facilities, mimicking the style of a traditional
neighborhood that encourages favorable behavior and
active communication between neighbors by putting
individuals under the eyes of others. The communal
kitchen and other shared spaces will continue to
promote a sense of community.
The goal of Lakeway Greens lies in helping residents

CHAPTER 5

develop social skills and work experience in order
to help prepare them for life after their tenure at the
transitional housing community, while giving back to the
community through their work.
With the skillsets acquired from Lakeway Greens,
the residents will be able to get a job and potentially
move into low-income housing units. Willow Creek
Apartments are an example of such properties, and
happen to be located just down the street. Upon
graduation from Lakeway Greens, the residents
who have found a job, with the help of a contracted

SITE PLAN 2: LAKEWAY GREEN

social worker, will surely be on the right path to
becoming a successful and self-sufficient individual. In
addition, consolidating the homeless individuals into a
settlement, beneficial services such as police, social
services, and community resources may be more
efficiently and effectively applied.

47
INFRASTRUCTURE

by the Solid Waste Division of Public Works and only
accepts certain wastes with certain dimensions and
is currently just a transfer station - all of the biomass
The site is adjacent to city owned and maintained
consolidated there is transported before any significant
service lines - water and sanitary sewer lines could
composting processes take place. The Lakeway
be readily installed and/or extended to service the
Greens transitional housing community would utilize
proposed community. Since there are currently no
the potential benefits of integrating on-site composting
building structures and minimal impervious surfaces,
the necessary underground infrastructure could be put facilities in two different ways. First, compost heat
recovery systems could be set up following a model
in place, using traditional open trench methods and
compost-based energy production system that was
situated without constraints from any other existing
developed in the 1970’s by Jean Pain, a French
utility lines. Furthermore, because the proposed
housing units are mobile and can be easily rearranged, inventor. From one pile of compost, he heated his
home of 1,000 sq. ft and could heat water to 140
future maintenance of buried pipelines would not
degrees Fahrenheit at a rate of four liters per minute.
require costly trenchless methods (i.e., pipe bursting,
cured-in-place piping). Additionally, the advantages and Essentially, the design consists of a large pile of yard
debris and/or wood wastes while spiraling piping
disadvantages of the various piping materials should
is embedded throughout the pile to reconvey heat
be considered. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is commonly
generated by the microbial breakdown of organic
used and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) can
material. This heating method would be cost effective
withstand corrosive temperatures up to 122 degrees
and could sufficiently heat the small, enclosed housing
Fahrenheit. Orangeburg pipe on the other hand is
designs. Furthermore, on-site composting facilities
common among older homes – it is relatively cheap
could supply organic matter to use as mulch layers
material that is durable but easily ruptured under
and compost-amended planting mix for the community
pressure and should be bedded in sand and/or pea
garden and the new native vegetation nursery along
gravel to prevent rupture.
Woburn Street. The native vegetation nursery is
currently maintained by the Parks Department and
There is adequate space within the site to integrate
it is a feature that, if extended around the perimeter
parking amenities for the tenants with vehicles.
of the site, could serve various beneficial functions.
However, there are multiple bus stops adjacent to the
site that should be taken advantage of as an alternative Essentially, it would provide a:
mode of transportation. The 540 serves the stops on
• Visual screen for more privacy and increased
Woburn St. and Old Woburn St. and the stops along
aesthetics
Lakeway Drive are serviced by the 512 and 525 • bioretention cell to sequester pollutants from
between these three bus routes, residents and visitors
stormwater, thus protecting the community gardens
could travel to and from various destinations around
from heavy metals associated with high traffic
town including: the downtown station, Lakeway Center,
volumes
Barkley Village, Sunset Square, Geneva, Sudden
• green buffers to minimize noise pollution.
Valley, Silver Beach, and Squalicum High School.
Currently in operation on the site is the Bellingham
Clean Green facility, which accepts residential yard
waste from Whatcom County residents. It is operated

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

48

ZONE 3
ZONE 2
ZONE 1

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 2: LAKEWAY GREEN

49
BIORETENTION FACILITIES
ZONE 3
Area with dry soils, infrequently subjected to saturation.
Plants within this zone should be used to transition or
blend with the existing landscape.

ZONE 2
Area that is periodically moist or saturated during storm
events. Plants within this zone are also applicable in
Zone 3.

ZONE 1

Area with frequent standing or flowing water.
Plants within this zone should tolerate summer
droughts without extra watering.

*List of appropriate trees and shrubs for the three planting zones of bioretention facilities with respect to soil
moisture characteristics and desirable size of mature specimens.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

50

HOUSING DESIGN
The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Green Micro Housingâ&#x20AC;? concept emphasized an
energy efficient and environmentally conscious/healthy
living environment. The micro homes would be at the
pinnacle of energy efficient design, with slanted roofs

CHAPTER 5

for grey water collection, and solar panel attachments
for electricity production. The homes would also come
furnished with composting toilets for waste management and a reduction in needed sewage links. Bamboo
flooring paired with radiant floor heating would help
heat the home and eliminate the need for lumber.
Twenty units, each occupying 120 square feet could be

SITE PLAN 2: LAKEWAY GREEN

placed on the lot, housing between 20 and 40 people,
with the possibility of a couple occupying one unit.
Storage containers would be at the foundation of
the second housing concept, in which two shipping
containers laid horizontally, would be split by a vertically situated housing container. The two horizontally

51
placed shipping containers, with solar panels affixed to
their roofs would act as homes to the Lakeway Green
inhabitants. The vertically placed shipping container
affixed with a solar panel would act as a divider to the
two horizontally placed shipping containers complete
with composting toilets. The housing concept with a
dimension of 20x8x8.5 feet would take up 388 square
feet with every 194 square feet providing a home for
one person.
“Housing on wheels” encapsulates using compact,
mobile homes complete with a kitchen, bed, dining
room, and bathroom complete with a shower for an allin-one home amenity approach. The small, 120 square
feet size of the mobile homes would allow for 30 of the
homes to be placed in the Lakeway Green lot, utilizing
it’s forested areas efficiently.
RVs would be used in the fourth housing concept,
utilizing a cement slab laden composting station across
from the community garden. The cement sections
would be used as parking dividers and section enders
for the RVs to allow for their positioning. At the heart
of this housing concept is to utilize the compost being
dumped in the proposed RV lot and using the Jean
Pain composting technique to capture heat for constant
supplies of hot water and heat for the RVs.
The finalized and selected housing solution for Lakeway Green involves utilizing 17 foot truck trailers/Uhauls and retrofitting them with a bed, kitchen, cutting
surface, lower and upper cabinet, sink, composting
toilets, bamboo flooring, drywall, and windows. 21 of
these units would be placed on the lot allowing for
the housing of 21 to 42 citizens in total. Next to these
homes ,a community center would be built to satisfy
residents need for social interaction and community
membership.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

52
COMMUNITY BUILDING
Lakeway Green offers plenty of community spaces, including the forest and trail network, community garden,
and native plant nursery. In addition to these amenities, a community building is planned that will provide
residents with a place to use the restroom, shower, and
do laundry, in addition to common facilities for leisurely
activities, recreation, and a large kitchen facility where
meals can be prepared and shared in a manner in
which the residents can learn cooking skills alongside
kitchen safety. The community building will encourage interactions with residents of Lakeway Green and
the public, making this space a crucial component in
breaking down socio-economic barriers. Case workers
can also utilize this space, delivering an efficient way to
consolidate services. It is recommended that an onsite
manager be present during the day, with an office in
the community center. The onsite manager should be
an expert in dispute resolution techniques, and may
delegate tasks to the residents.
The community facility will add to the aesthetic value
of the site, and is designed with sustainability in mind.
It is planned to meet or exceed Washington State law,
which mandates that public buildings must be certified to at least the LEED silver standard. A green roof,
water harvesting system, energy efficient windows,
and solar panels will reduce the environmental impact
of this building, and make it an attractive and resilient
public space.

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 2: LAKEWAY GREEN

53
ESTIMATED COST

COST BRAKEDOWN FOR 21 UNITS

The team has been trying to reach U-haul for a
•
potential corporate partnership in which old U-Haul
trucks would be donated and then retrofitted. If this falls •
through, the option to buy old U-Haul trucks would raise
the cost to approximately $2,000 per unit, and buying
the trucks in bulk would reduce the per unit price.
•

Adding cabinetry for storage ~ $6,300 (brand new)

The Lakeway Green’s homes will require furnishment
to foster a positive and comfortable living environment
for residents. Through potential partnerships with Home
Depot and Uhaul, homes and community centers could
be substantially equipped with little to no cost to the
City of Bellingham. The total cost of retrofitting all 21
units, which includes insulation, bedding, and adding
windows, a composting toilet and bamboo flooring,
comes out to approximately $20,000. If the U-Hauls
are not donated, acquisition of these units would cost
approximately $42,000. The Community Building’s
kitchen appliances, six shower stalls and toilets, and
laundry appliances would amount to $15,000. The
hiring of an on-site manager to help facilitate day-today operations would cost approximately $25,000 a
year. Partnerships with local nonprofits and businesses,
and a heavy reliance upon work from volunteers and
future residents would help cut costs for retrofitting the
U-hauls and allow them to build their skillsets.

•

Windows and a door would vary upon cost of labor

•

A composting toilet $6,500 for each unit

•

Eco-friendly bamboo flooring would be $1,785

•

TOTAL: Unit + retrofit ~ $42,000 + $19,365 =
$61,365

Partnerships with local non-profits and businesses
would also help drive down the cost.

A heavy reliance on work from volunteers and future
•
residents would cut costs for the retrofits and add to the
residents’ skillset.

On site manager ~ $25,000 per year? potential for
a beneficial member to eventually take over this
position

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

54
ELWOOD HEIGHTS SITE PLAN

compensation for the unavoidable impacts of building
in wetland-containing areas.

EXISTING SITE

In terms of the development timeframe on the site,
ideally the establishment of this transitional community
with its necessary utilities and other intensive features
would cater to a two year plus residency on the site.
There would likely be family turn-over cycling in then
out of the community, so founding residents would not
necessarily reside in Elwood Heights for this entire time
period. One consideration to note in terms of the site’s
time frame is the nearby location of San Juan Boulevard extending from Yew Street to a very forested cluster of land in the Samish Crest Greenway. There are
tentative plans to develop this connector to merge with
Elwood Avenue. However, in the city’s TIP plan through
2010, this connector was in the bottom half of development priorities and in a recent WSDOT Whatcom
Council of Government Model a two-lane new Boulevard Connector was forecast only in their 2035 model,
and that given funding needs are met for the proposal.

The site proposed for the development of the Elwood
Heights neighborhood is a 9 acre parcel located in the
Samish Neighborhood. Of Bellingham’s 24 designated
neighborhoods, the Samish Neighborhood is the largest, with over 2,000 acres including Lake Padden park.
Close to 3,500 residents call his South Bellingham area
home. The primary building types are both large and
small single-family lots, with dense areas of open green
space, trail access and recreational spaces. This specific 9 acre plot is located at the corner of 40th Street
and Elwood Avenue. The plot is currently owned by the
City of Bellingham and is wholly undeveloped besides a
few narrow trails used for recreation. However, the site
is well-equipped for future development as its bordered
by utilities including power lines, gas mains and sewer
lines that serve nearby residential neighborhoods.
In terms of natural settings, the site is densely forested
in a curved swatch from the upper Northeast corner
around to the lower Southwest corner. The proposal
involves working with the tree cover, as it would provide
a sound buffer and recreation area for the future residents of the Elwood Heights community. Additionally,
there is an unmarked small stream that is a tributary of
Whatcom Creek flowing through the canopy cover in
the forested area. The biggest consideration in terms of
site is the wetland areas. Though only covering certain
sections of the plot, they do signify areas of special
consideration. Best Management Practices could ideally be exercised in tandem with development, respecting setback requirements and avoiding disturbance of
the parts of the land containing wetlands. An additional
measure could involve purchasing credits through a
wetlands bank such as The Lummi Nation Wetland and
Habitat Mitigation Bank, which helps provide

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 3: ELWOOD HEIGHTS

55
CLIENT PROFILE
The clientele for the Elwood Heights community site
is families, in the variety of forms of which this group
could be composed. Included in this designation are
both nuclear and non-traditional families, including
single parents with kids. Parents with children under
age 18 qualify, as do pregnant women. Additionally, the
proposed community would be trained-pet friendly. According to the 2013 Whatcom County Coalition to End
Homelessness Annual Report, of the 561 homeless
persons counted there were 70 families. This amounted to 205 persons in total, with 133 being under 18
years old and an average family size of 3. The majority
of surveyed persons were either residing in transitional
or emergency shelters, if not they were either sleeping
outdoors or in theirs cars. Though a number of circumstances likely contributed to their current condition,
47% of family respondents cited inability to pay rent
or mortgage as the most significant reason for their
homelessness.
There are a number of specific considerations to take
into account when establishing a settlement to house
families. This could include providing easy access to
health care and hospital access for pregnant women or
for children with disabling conditions that need frequent
treatment. Specific needs will vary depending on the
communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residents, but providing both user-friendly
housing features alongside as valuing child safety in
relation to nearby streams and roads as well as the
boardwalks connecting the yurt housing pods will prove
essential.
Beyond basic amenities, there are a number of key
services especially important for homeless families.
These families with children were extremely likely to
cite domestic violence as a reason for homelessness
(46%) as well as family break-up (21%). In these situations, both law-based resources to deal with custody
concerns or child support payments as well as coun-

seling to provide necessary healing for stressful family
situations would be vital to provide via current Bellingham homeless resources and on-site community center
workshops and sessions. With small single family lots
comprising the majority of the Elwood siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighbors,
family housing in this community aligns well with the
current layout of the Samish neighborhood.

SITE LAYOUT
This City of Bellingham owned parcel of land is a
perfect spot for the proposed Elwood community. The
neighboring houses contain families, but there is a buffer of forest between this community and the neighboring homes. To aid in transitional housing goals, the
Elwood Heights community should have the feel of a
regular family home, making this site ideal. Proximity
to schools will also be important so that children will
be able to attend school every day. The site is within
2 miles of Happy Valley Elementary School, 3 miles
from Fairhaven Middle School and 2 miles from Sehome High School. There is a school bus route that
runs through the neighborhood as well, so children of
Elwood Heights would be able to get on the same bus
and go to the same schools as rests of Samish Neighborhood children.
While making the children of these families feel at
home is important, it is equally important to cater to the
needs of adults in the community. It will be important
that members of the community have a steady source
of income, and transportation to their jobs would be a
big factor. Luckily this community is located .25 miles
away from the nearest bus stop and .5 miles from the
Lincoln Creek Park and Ride. Also, it is located just
outside of Sehome Village, housing numerous stores
including Haggens and Rite Aid, where the people of
Elwood Heights could do their grocery shopping without
having to travel a great distance.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

56
A major goal in designing Elwood Heights was to
create a housing site within a location that is familyfriendly and a place where the residents feel they are
actually part of a community. In order to create more
of a communal setting the design for the site consists
of two pods of 4-6 houses that are arranged in a circle
with the fronts facing each other and a unit on the end
to serve as the shared shower/bathroom unit. The
center of the circle could serve as a communal area
where people could garden or children could play. This
design would allow for easier interaction between the
families. Additionally, Elwood Heights was designed to
incorporate a general community building and space.
This area would include gardening space, a playground
and a community building where all of the residents
could hold meetings, make group meals or whatever
they desire.

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 3: ELWOOD HEIGHTS

57
Minimizing the cost of building Elwood Heights was
also a priority because the chances are there is not
going to be a significant amount of funding for the
project. Reducing costs was another reason for having
the pods of homes with communal bathrooms since
it would be significantly cheaper to provide upkeep
for infrastructure for one bathroom unit as opposed to
5 separate ones per housing pod. Also, building the
homes close together would reduce costs and require

shorter access roads. The site was designed around
the existing vegetation and wetlands so additional resources would not need to be spent on the deconstruction of the area. This would also give the community
more of a spacious feel. The natural vegetation that
is already on-site is a great buffer to the surrounding
neighborhoods. The north, east and south sides of the
site all contain a tall tree buffer that would reduce noise
from the direct neighbors.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

58
INFRASTRUCTURE

COMMUNITY/SHARED SPACES

HOUSING DESIGN CONCEPT

Due to this siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rural location it is ideally suited to tap
into and utilize the existing city utilities and infrastructure. These systems include power, water, sewer, trash
and recycling. Additionally, Cascade Natural Gas has
a line that runs right by the intersection of Elwood and
40th, providing another resource. If the funding was
available, solar hot water could be utilized due to the
south-facing exposure.

The large community building will be the center of the
community, both metaphorically and literally. The community center will be a large yurt somewhere in the
30 to 40 foot radius range. The community center will
include segregated showers, laundry facilities and a
large kitchen space suitable for large meals or gatherings. Communal bathrooms will be located next to the
housing pods for easy access as well as easy maintenance. The entire housing community will be connected
with raised boardwalks that double as thoroughfares for
utilities. This will facilitate easy maintenance of utilities as well as quick disassembly if the need to move
arises. The community center will also be the place
where skill building workshops take place as well as
housing administration. A smaller separate yurt may be
jointed to the large community yurt to provide day care
services for single working parents. This separate yurt
could house items such as play equipment or developmental learning tools.

Yurts are circular, semi-portable housing concepts
made out of simple materials in a way that provides
for strong structural integrity and longevity. The base
for a yurt home is a raised wooden platform which can
be built with a variety of different styles ranging from
$1,000 - $6,000, depending on design. The structure
of yurtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s walls are composed of circular vinyl lattice
that is then insulated and finished with a canvas wall
wrap on the outside of the structure. The dome shaped
roof is built out of wooden rafters and insulation, with
a dome ceiling window at the top. The base of the roof
structure is held together with a compression ring and
tension band that runs around the whole structure,
providing incredible strength and requiring no internal support system. This leaves the inside of the yurt
completely open and spacious. On average, an entire
yurt and platform can be set up in 1-2 days with a 4-5
person team. The structure on top of the platform can

Though gardening can be a very positive and therapeutic activity for individuals of all ages and all walks of
life, it can be particularly powerful for families. It allows
a break from the stress and anxiety for both parents
and children and provides an opportunity to reconnect
with the natural world.This site is well-suited to accommodate gardening for community members on both
a small and larger scale. Both in-ground or aboveground raised beds could provide gardening work, with
larger shared plots for families and/or
smaller personalsized ones allocated
for individuals. Due
to the limited attention span and
strength of children,
extensive production
of food for external
sales does not seem
to be appropriate for
this target client and
location. However,
supplementing local
food needs with onsite production could
still have a powerful
effect on the Elwood
Heights community.

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 3: ELWOOD HEIGHTS

59
cost anywhere between $8,000 - $20,000 depending
on diameter size, which ranges from 16 to 33 feet.
The circular yurt design provides for efficient wind/rain/
snow resistance, efficient heating, and portability at an
affordable price. Heating can be provided using wood,
electric or gas stoves. Electricity, kitchens and bathrooms can all be easily installed within a yurt residence
for additional start-up costs. Walls and lofts can be
erected in larger yurts to create different rooms and
more space.
Many families choose to live in yurts due to the low
startup costs, limited financial commitments, availability
for all resources and facilities that are found in traditional homes and the creative and communal nature
of yurt life. For these reasons, this style of housing
seems ideally suited for the proposed clientele and site
location.
Each individual yurt in this proposal will be around
22 feet in radius and will have a small cooking area
consisting of a stove, microwave, and shelves/cabinets.
Additionally, each unit will have a small fridge and a
sink with hot and cold water. Electricity and water will
be wired/routed underneath potential boardwalks to
each yurt in order to limit burying of infrastructure and
as an attempt to keep this housing concept semi-temporary. The water will pump from the community center
at a central boiling location. Several power outlet ports
will be present for electric and lighting needs. Basic
sleeping necessities will take up most of the yurt layout
space, however, layout can ultimately be rearranged
based on resident personal preference. Heating will be
maintained using radiant floor heating pipes that have
hot water pumping from the community center. There
are no bathrooms proposed within each individual unit.
Bathrooms and showers will instead be offered within a
nearby gender-separated shower/bathroom yurt.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

60

CONCLUSION
The goals of the Elwood Heights community development are ambitious and multi-faceted. With careful
consideration of site placement to meet the needs
of the clientele including location near schools, easy
transit access and the naturally-enhanced nature of the
site with the forested tree buffer and stream adjacent,
the site provides an ideal transitional staging ground
for families down on their luck to be safely housed. The
nature of the surrounding Samish Neighborhood zoned
Residential Single makes placement of this community in-line with current planning paradigms. The yurt
housing design concept fosters community building and
hands-on, quick start-up housing construction. This allows for neighborhood interaction even before the yurts
are fully erected. Yurts provide a low-cost, scalable
and mobile option for meeting the needs of this undervalued clientele group in a dignified manner.

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 3: ELWOOD HEIGHTS

61
RV SITE PLAN
EXISTING SITE
This old R.V. park is located at 341 Telegraph Road
Bellingham, WA. The 3.23 acre, commercially zoned
property has existing infrastructure and utility hook ups
that lend to near immediate occupation. The ground
has already been graded and paved and the current
R.V. hooks up are ideally placed and can be readily accessed with minimal improvements..
The site is close to many entry level employment opportunities, close to bus lines and groceries, and other
amenities.
The site is Privately owned and is listed at $3,576,696

CLIENT PROFILE
This mobile living solution is targeted at individuals
who prefer transient living as a way of life. Rather than
requiring a more stationary and permanent residence,
this idea offers the flexibility and mobility of existing
homeless communities, but more of the amenities that
allow for greater levels of health, shelter, security, and
belonging.

This site is specifically designed for older males who
statistically are the majority of those choosing this
lifestyle, but is not exclusive to this demographic. The
layout makes it inclusive of all people and situations,
though families arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recommended to be here due to
the location of the site and the nature of mobile living.

SITE PLAN 4: RV PARK

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

62
This site is already organized in a community setting.
By using existing infrastructure, the new community
can be set up and established rapidly. A ring of sites for
RV’s will surround shared community space. There will
be sites reserved for people to pull up with their own
vehicles, be it an RV or a car. Donated RV’s will also
be available for people to move into. The individual RV
spots have ample personal green space around them
that act as backyards. There will be space for temporary
greenhouses and/or planters for food production. Most
of the infrastructure will be consolidated in the center.

devices.

ELECTRICITY

COMPOST

Electricity has the potential to be a highly variable, and
expensive monthly cost to the community. It is for this
reason that it is recommended to limit electricity access
to the communal facility and showers. Limiting access
to electricity allows for the use to be monitored, and
therefore, minimized. Electricity will be provided to heat
water for showers, power the communal kitchen facility,
power a computer with internet access, and to provide
a centrally located “charging station” for electronic

Food scraps and compostable products should be separated from the solid waste and recycling and compiled
into compost bins.

BATHROOMS
One bathroom trailer with two stalls will be provided for
the community.
SHOWERS

A shower trailer with two separate stalls will be provided
for the residences. The shower facility includes propane
in-line water heating self-contained within the trailer.
The shower unit will also be outfitted with a solar water
INFRASTRUCTURE / SANITATION
heating system to boost the temperature of the water
The 341 Telegraph Rd. site has the advantage of exist- before it reaches the propane water heater. For a lower
ing sewer, water, and electricity hook-ups. Straightfor- cost option, the shower trailer can be operated with the
ward access to sewer, water and electricity lends itself in-line heater switched off. The solar heated water temwell to the highly mobile community concept for this site. perature will be lower without propane heat, but this may
Mobile RV’s and trailers can quickly be placed and con- not be an issue during the warmer months of the year.
nected to these existing utilities. In the event that the
community should need to move, dismantling of the site WASTE DISPOSAL
will be equally as efficient as the set up.
SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING
SEWER / WATER
Service is available from the local SSC waste manageSewer and water utilities will be used for the communal ment service in Whatcom County for the removal of solid
bathroom and shower facilities, and will be made avail- waste and recycling. Waste disposal will come with a
able for any RV or trailer that is equipped to accept a monthly cost, but it is the most efficient method for ensewer or water connection.
suring that the community stays clean and free of litter.

CHAPTER 5

HEAT
It is recommended to heat the communal facility during
the winter months when nightly temperatures drop be-

SITE PLAN 4: RV PARK

63
low freezing. This centrally located heated space can
provide a comfortable sleeping arrangement during the
winter for residences, and also act as a cold weather
shelter for the county’s homeless citizens that are without refuge from the cold.
PROPANE
A propane stove can easily be used to heat the communal tent facility. Propane tanks can be purchased,
refilled, and used as necessary. The advantage of propane is that the fuel is pre-purchased before use, and
therefore, there will be no unexpected costs associated
with heating the facility.
WOOD STOVE
A wood stove can be installed in the communal facility
as long as the smoke is safely vented through the roof
of the tent. Wood fuel can be sourced locally by community members, and is often available for free in trade
for the labor to chop and remove it.
pane is that the fuel is pre-purchased before use, and
therefore, there will be no unexpected costs associated
with heating the facility.
NATURAL BODY HEAT RETENTION
Blankets, sleeping bags, and warm clothing are simple,
inexpensive methods for retaining body heat during the
day and night. Body heat retention methods should be
prioritized before wood or propane heat is used in order
to minimize costs.

COMMUNITY / SHARED BUILDINGS
To establish more of a sense of community, there will be
a number of communal spaces in the center of camp.
This not only establishes a community feel but it also
minimizes infrastructural needs. Communal space will
be used to provide necessary utilities and it can also be
used as a central meeting area.
Shower and restroom trailers will be located centrally to
make them equally accessible for everyone in the community.
A communal kitchen space will be provided in the center
as well. Having the kitchen centrally located improves
access for emergency vehicles in case of fire. Individuals may cook for themselves, or larger meals may be
provided. Food scraps and old grease can be saved
and perhaps turned into biodiesel.
To help create job skills, a mechanic/vehicle refurbishing shop will be on site. Here, residents of the camp can
learn valuable skills that will help them get a job. With
all the donated RV’s or their own personal vehicles, they
will be able to get them up and running. After they fix up
their vehicle, people can feel free to hit the open road if
they choose to do so. The refurbishing part of the shop
would be for donated vehicles that are unfit to live in.
This will also give people the opportunity to make the
RV unique and something they would happily call home.
The site is in close proximity to a number of existing
businesses from which to purchase materials and parts
from.
An office space will be located in the center as well. This
will provide space for social workers and other “outsiders” to come into camp and have a place to do whatever
it is they need to do. This will also be where residents of
the camp can have computer access and pick up their
mail.therefore, there will be no unexpected costs associated with heating the facility.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

64
HOUSING CONCEPTS

SIPS HOUSING

SURPLUS MILITARY TENTS

Structural Insulated Panels are pre-assembled, and
consist of insulating foam sandwiched between two
sheets of Oriented Strand Board (OSB). SIPs can be
custom ordered in various shapes and sizes for ease
of assembly. SIPs are structurally engineered and
require very little additional support framing. A small SIP
structure can easily be transported by truck and placed
with a forklift due to the lightweight characteristic of the
panels. SIPs have a nearly 50% increase in insulation
efficiency compared to standard wood framed structures.

With the drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan, there will
be a surplus of Military Base-X tents. This surplus will
make a huge number of tents available at reduced
prices. Prices range from a few hundred dollars to a few
thousand. This is dependent on the condition of the tent
as well on the size. Sizes range from single occupancy
up to space for twenty beds. Styles and usages also
vary from housing, offices, a kitchen, bathrooms, or
even large garages. These tents are durable and are
ideally suited for this climate. Setup and takedown of TUBE HOMES
these tents is quick and only requires a few people.
Pre-cast concrete pipes are a carefully designed and
engineered product making it an unique material to be
used as innovative housing. With a little imagination you
can see where this idea could take the minimalist tiny
-concrete- village. For example what if you took a few of
these and connected them at the center with a common
area via some kind of custom breezeway. Add plumbing,
power, and some skylights and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be in business.
VINYL HOUSING
The vinyl housing consists of vinyl siding a roof area garbage insulation and a bamboo floor all placed on cinder
blocks. These dwelling units would be cut off site and
then assembled by the occupants of the site. These
units would be cheap and create a sense of ownership
at the site.
COMPACT CAR TRAILERS
These small units would be lightweight and pack flat.
Inside the only amenities would be a bed and small
table, making it suitable for a single person. They could
be towed behind vehicles or delivered directly to the
site as impermanent house structures, and then easily
moved again to a new site.

CHAPTER 5

SITE PLAN 4: RV PARK

65
HOUSING DESIGN
EXISTING RVS
Mobile Estates is an homage to the old RV site that
closed a number of years ago. By making use of already
existing infrastructure, this property is practically “movein” ready. A short term lease would be procured from
the private owner with the added benefit of tax write
offs. Residents of Mobile Estates will find a nice and
convenient space waiting for them. If they have their
own vehicle already, they can just pull up and claim a
spot. If not, donated RV’s and campers will be provided
for them.
Everything a person will need will be available in shared
communal spaces in the center of the site. They will be
able to take a hot shower, grab a hot meal, and even
learn some mechanical skills at the mechanic shop. If a
resident is able to fix up their RV to a drivable condition
they are free to hit the open road. For those that choose
to stay, some level of cooperation is expected of them.
They can tend the gardens, clean the rest rooms, work
in the shop, or pay rent.therefore, there will be no
unexpected costs associated with heating the facility.

SUMMARY CONCLUSION
Mobile Estates is an homage to the old RV site that
closed a number of years ago. By making use of already
existing infrastructure, this property is practically “movein” ready. A short term lease would be procured from
the private owner with the added benefit of tax write
offs. Residents of Mobile Estates will find a nice and
convenient space waiting for them. If they have their
own vehicle already, they can just pull up and claim a
spot. If not, donated RV’s and campers will be provided
for them.
Everything a person will need will be available in shared
communal spaces in the center of the site. They will be
able to take a hot shower, grab a hot meal, and even
learn some mechanical skills at the mechanic shop. If a
resident is able to fix up their RV to a drivable condition
they are free to hit the open road. For those that choose
to stay, some level of cooperation is expected of them.
They can tend the gardens, clean the rest rooms, work
in the shop, or pay rent.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

66
SERENITY GARDEN SITE CONCEPT

Another option for obtaining this property would be to
outright purchase the property for the sum of $
­ 724129. A
Housing and Urban Development loan could be a way to
make this possible. A HUD loan is guaranteed by the US
Government meaning that a bank would be reimbursed
by the government if IRA was not able to pay the
loan. HUD specializes in financing affordable housing
projects. Infrastructure inspections, financial history, and
overall risk assessment would be evaluated and when
all was said and done, hopefully Serenity Garden would
be approved by HUD to qualify for the loan.

A. EXISTING SITE

Address: 3116 Mercer Ave, Bellingham WA 98225

ON-SITE ATTRIBUTES
This site is approximately a total of 620,000+ sq ft and
zoned as light industrial. It has been divided into three
parcels and currently listed for ­­­$724,129. By viewing
aerial photos posted on Bellingham City IQ it has been
noted that this property has not been developed or
changed much at all in the past 10 years
The property already comes equipped with Mercer Ave
stretching about ⅔ of the property length and ending in
a roundabout. There is a retaining pond as well as a
fire hydrant in case of emergency. Not only are utilities
available on Marine street (water, sewer and electricity)
but this site is just barely outside of city limits enabling
clientele easy access to the downtown area and the
amenities available. There is also a trail that extends to
the north side of the property enabling connectivity of the
site to the surrounding neighborhood. The topography of
the site lends itself to agriculture because it is a relatively
level and southern facing exposed parcel of land. The
soil type is also conducive to agriculture.
OFF-SITE ATTRIBUTES
Busy roads run very close to the Serenity Garden’s site
boundaries. The property is located very close to a bus
stop which facilitates easy coming and going from the
city of Bellingham. The local business include a recycling
center and electrical car production. Ideally trades could
be made with these local businesses to take advantage
of resources that line up with related on-site needs.

CHAPTER 5

B. CLIENT PROFILE

FUNDING SITE
Payment for the use of the property would be separated
into short and long term goals. The first option would be
leasing the property. Leasing the property for five or ten
years would allow for a trial run of the Serenity Garden
homeless housing project. Through cooperation of the
property owner an agreement could be established
leasing the property for 3-4% of the total property
value per month.[B] This would equate to a total rent of
25344.55 every month. A percentage of this total cost
could be covered through the application of grants from
sources like the US Department of Health and Human
Services.[C] If the farm were to be deemed successful the
site could be transitioned into a permanent agricultural
area with transitional housing developments to help the
homeless.

SITE PLAN 5: SERENITY GARDENS

Serenity Garden will house males and females over
the age of 18. The site is designed to be permanent,
however the members are temporary. They can stay in
the community for up to 2 years, where they can gain
job skills and then become a permanent employee at
the site or find a job elsewhere. The members accepted
will be beneficial, low, and medium risk. Beneficial
people have a lot of social connections within the current
homeless community, are calm and want to help lead
and take charge. Low risk people includes recreational
drug users, hoarders, and people with behavioral quirks,
and nuances. Medium risk people include dependent
drug users, alcoholics, and people who are dangerous
to themselves and have minor psychiatric problems.
The incoming members must be able to work on a farm,
which includes handling machinery, lifting and other
duties. Pets are allowed on site, as most homeless
shelters and communities don’t allow pets. This will be
a trial, and if it’s successful pets will be permanently
allowed.

67
C. NEW SITE LAYOUT

As mentioned in Serenity Garden, section a, there is
already a significant amount of existing infrastructure.
There are a few things that will needed to be added to
the site, however, to make it a functioning garden:
a. Irrigation lines
b. Composting area
c. A crop wash station
d. A shed for storage
e. High tunnels
f. Resident housing
g. A community center
h. Bathroom building

Serenity Garden is a transitional housing model designed
to help homeless individuals assimilate back into society
securely and effectively. The theme of this design is
growth. Serenity Garden provides the opportunity
for homeless individuals to both be helped, and help
themselves, get out of a state of homelessness.
3116 Mercer Ave will be turned into a small scale, profiting
farm. 260,000+ square feet (a little over 6 acres) of the
site will be a year-round garden.
Unlike most transitional housing models which can
be uprooted at any moment, Serenity Garden is a
permanent site with transitional residents. A permanent
site allows the establishment to reach a state of rhythm
and order for it will have the time it takes for any new
institute to become stable. Serenity Garden is also
designed to bring in a profit which can be used to pay
off the cost of the land and other expenses (Serenity
Garden, section d.
Residents who stay at Serenity Garden will make
lasting connections with the Bellingham community by
attending Saturday Markets and other local events in
which food or other goods can be sold (Serenity Garden,
section d). By actively participating on the farm, Serenity
Garden residents will gain a wide variety of skills that
can be used to help them remove themselves from a
state of homelessness. This model is designed to run as
a consequence free work-like environment.

D. FARM DESIGN

As depicted in Serenity Garden, Figure 1, approximately
270,000sq feet of the property is reserved for a yearround producing garden. A few crops that can be grown
year round in the Bellingham community are: kale,
carrots, beets, potatoes, yellow onions, and turnips
[D]. All of the produce grown will be washed and
packaged on site. This will provide more job and skill
building opportunities for the residents. See the USDA
Washington Crops spread sheet attached for crops and
growing season.
Approximately 6.2 acres of the property will be covered
in fruit trees and berry bushes. An orchard is the most
appropriate use of the uneven ground which makes up
the back portion of the site. Livestock, such as chickens
and bees, would also be accommodating to the uneven
ground.
SERENITY GARDEN INFRASTRUCTURE:
1. Irrigation- During our interviews with Joes Garden we
found that having the proper irrigation on the property
is essential for the success of a profitable and fully
functioning farm. Drip Irrigation is a very important aspect
of the farm because it reduces plant stress via consistent
watering, reduces water usage and eases overall labor.
Compared to conventional sprinkler-style irrigation
methods drip irrigation uses only “half to a quarter of the

water”.[G] The cost of installation and usage will depend
on the size of plot, water payment, and maintenance.
According the University of Florida drip irrigation costs
$500-1200 per acre.[G] For a 6.2 acre plot this means an
estimated installation cost of $ 3100- 7440. This number
does not include annual maintenance. Low cost PVC
tubing can be utilized reducing costs. Training someone
to maintain the irrigation will also reduce associated
maintenance costs.
2. Crop Wash Station- This could double as a large
utility sink that would be used for other purposes as well.
Estimated cost $250-400 from the Home Depot.
3. High Tunnels- Used for extending the growing
season and enabling year round growth High Tunnels
are essential tools for anyone who is serious about
agricultural output. Trapping solar energy high tunnels
create a greenhouse effect for larger areas of land. The
cost for one Economy Round Style High Tunnel 30’
W x 12’ H x 72’ L from Farmtek costs $5,369.[H] The
farm would need at least two for beginning stages of
production. As well as extending the growing season,
It is proven that High Tunnels increase both production
and quality of produce.[H] It is possible to apply for a
grant to help cover this cost. The grant is through the
USDA natural Resource Conservation Services “Know
Your Farmer, Know Your Food” program.[I]
4. Plumbing/ Sewer System- As well as irrigation,
plumbing will be needed to meet the needs of human
community on site.
5. Electricity- As stated earlier electricity will be available
for connection and use from Marine Ave utilities.
6. Soil Testing and Conditioning- The soil existing on site
should be chemically analyzed to determine the nutrients
available as well as the nutrients that are lacking. This
will reduce costs associated with fertilizers/minerals
as well as prevent over fertilization and associated
complications. There are several companies that can
provide adequate soil tests to determine what is needed
to improve soil fertility. Joes Gardens recommends
William F. Black Soil testing located in Burlington WA.
7. Community Center- Referred to in depth in section E.

TRANSITIONAL SETTLEMENTS

68
8. Bathroom Building- Referred to in depth in the next
section E.
9. Compost Pile- A low cost, sustainable solution for
using organic material that would otherwise enter the
landfill. Compost Tea, a nutrient packed soup, can be
brewed from the compost pile and used as an organic
fertilizer for the farm.
10. Tools- To appropriately manage the agricultural
environment several kinds of tools will be needed.
According to Jason Weston from Joe’s Gardens, old tools
and machines, which can be found online at a reduced
price, are the most reliable and work best for maintaining
the garden. Jason strongly suggests investing in the
older technology tools than the newer, more expensive
ones [F].The most heavy duty tools will be the Cultivator,
Seeder and if funds allow a tractor. A cultivator is used
to till the soil before planting effectively aerating the soil
before being planted in. A cultivator costs anywhere from
$150-400, dependant on the model, from home depot.
[J] A seeder efficiently seeds rows of soil much faster
than by hand. A precision Seeder from Home Depot
costs $134. A tractor could be used to till the field and
move the land but it is not totally necessary in the first
years of production. Aside from these heavy duty tools
the farm will need shovels, wheel barrow, clippers, and
other miscellaneous tools.
11. Crops- Seeds and saplings, will be donated seasonally
by Joe’s Garden. Jason also said that he would consider
volunteering some time to teach members of Serenity
Gardens the basics and most important things to know
about gardening [F]. This will greatly reduce the overall
cost of the garden. A shed will be built on site to store
materials, tools, seeds, and other farm products.

CHAPTER 5

RESIDENT LIFE ON-SITE
At Serenity Garden residents will develop skills that will
provide Serenity Garden’s members with marketable
skills which will be helpful during their transition process
out of homelessness., these skills include resume
building, canning, meal prep, cleaning, maintaining
and selling produce, farm work, small building projects
(chicken coop, dog houses, etc.), and more! Different
“jobs” will be available to Serenity Garden’s residents.
Such positions include: garden maintenance, livestock
caregiver, produce washer, salespersons (goes to
Saturday market and other community events), sales
managers (makes sales arrangements with community),
etc. Each member will have an opportunity to uphold
each position.

RESIDENT LIFE OFF-SITE
A full brand identity will be developed to help Serenity
Garden. This will include a logo, name, and awareness
campaign that will all be designed to help the program
gain awareness and promote connection within the
local Bellingham community. This system allows the
community to support the program and feel a connection
to the cause. This connection also acts as a bridge
to reintegrate the members in the program with the
community of Bellingham at large.

SITE PLAN 5: SERENITY GARDENS

The products grown by the residents at Serenity Garden
will be sold to local co-ops and other food markets.Two
days a week Serenity Garden will be open to members
of the public who wish to come and purchase produce,
eggs, and other products.
Residents will be trained by Cloud Mountain Farms,
a local nonprofit community farm center dedicated to
providing hands-on learning experiences to aspiring
farmers [E]. They have many free workshops that
Serenity Garden residents can attend to learn how to
properly maintain the farm, some of these workshops
include: Beginning Vegetable Gardening, Learning to
Grow Fruit Trees, Learn to Garden Sustainably, Build
Tunnels and Cold Frames, Using Tunnels and Hoop
Houses for Productive Gardening, and How to Harvest.
By attending these workshops Serenity Garden residents
will gain valuable knowledge and skills that they can
apply to both life at, and after, Serenity Garden.

69
E. COMMUNITY/SHARED SPACES

During phase one, the two community buildings will be
army tents and with revenue and time during phase two
will be double wide trailers. There are the HDT Base-X
Model 8D36 large dome shelters, which have a clear
span of 31’. There’s an integrated floor, outlets and it has
ventilation. It is lightweight and portable but at the same
time is durable and strong. It takes about 20 minutes to
set up with about 6 people. It has HVAC plenum, which
means it has heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
The first building will include bathrooms, showers
and washer and dryers. There will be 2 showers and
3 stalls for each gender and 2 industrial washers and
dryers. In addition, there will also be an office for selfhelp and outreach, and an office for Serenity Garden’s
management. The second building will include the
kitchen and dining hall. When the dining hall isn’t in use it
can be converted into an event and activity space. Such
events include monthly cooking lessons, community
BBQ’s, game night, movie night and others!

There will be a convenient storage shed for farming
equipment and tools. Also there will be a place where
the members can ‘escape’ and relax in that will include
benches, a small fountain (or the retaining pond), and a
therapeutic garden. The garden will contain plants that
are relaxing cool earth tones.
Pets will be allowed within housing units but will need
to meet regulations of the establishment. This means
well groomed, up to date on medicines/immunizations
as well as overall healthy for the living situation.
The community building will have services and
programs, such as community arts and building
program, employment, resume and skills building
program, counseling (mental health, substance abuse,
stability, etc.), health and wellness services, health
care, support groups, and case management services.
Case management services involves helping them find
housing after they leave the community, behavioral
health issues, finding employment, etc.

F. HOUSING DESIGN

The individual housing will be HDT Base-X Model 103
tents that are military grade. They are 9’5” x 15’ (area of
210 square feet)and are sturdy, lightweight, and durable.
The frame allows for an easy and quick setup of less
than 5 minutes with only two people. The price ranges
from about $400 to $500 and some tents can even
potentially be donated by the U.S. government. It has
a pre installed floor, electrical wiring, and a ventilation
system (HVAC/air plenum). There’s also an electrical
outlet every 5’.

G. ESTIMATED COST

The total cost for the Serenity Garden’s program would
sit around $794232.99 with the potential of having
$22738 of this cost donated.

H. SUMMARY

Serenity Garden is a place to help assimilate the
homeless back into society and get them back on their
feet. It’s a place where they can feel safe and connected,
be with people who share the same experiences, and
develop skills that can be applied to the real world.
They finally can have a roof over their heads, a place to
sleep, and food, while at the same time benefitting them
to help them in the future. By completing their duties,
activities, and counseling they are bettering themselves
by learning job skills and improving their overall health.
Gardening can be therapeutic, and can be used as a tool
for therapy of mental illnesses. Serenity Garden offers
multiple resources and activities to keep the community
members busy.